CHICAGO— The father of Chicago rapper Mello Buckzz has been charged in a federal gun case, days after a mass shooting outside her mixtape release party left four people dead and 18 others injured in the River North neighborhood, federal prosecutors confirmed Tuesday.
The shooting unfolded around 1:30 a.m. on July 2 outside Artis Restaurant & Lounge, located on the 300 block of West Chicago Avenue, as crowds exited an event hosted by Mello Buckzz. According to Chicago police, a dark-colored vehicle drove past the crowd and opened fire before fleeing the scene (ABC7 Chicago).
Four people were fatally shot:
- Taylor Walker, 26, a hairstylist from the South Side who was attending the event with friends
- Aviance “Avi” Drexler, 27, a healthcare worker and close friend of the rapper
- Leon Andrew Henry, 25, of Chicago
- Devonte Terrell Williamson, 23, a truck driver and young father who was also Mello Buckzz’s boyfriend
At least 14 other individuals sustained injuries and were transported to area hospitals including Northwestern Memorial, Stroger, Mount Sinai, and Illinois Masonic. Three remained in critical condition as of Wednesday morning.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling condemned the incident, calling it “senseless and devastating,” adding that the shooters “fired into a crowd without any regard for human life” (CBS Chicago). The venue, Artis Lounge, has since been temporarily closed by city officials. The same location previously operated as Hush Chicago, which was also shuttered following a 2022 fatal shooting.
As the community grapples with the violence, new legal developments have further complicated the narrative.
According to CWB Chicago, Melvin Doyle, the father of Mello Buckzz, was arrested and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The federal complaint, filed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), states that Doyle was found with multiple handguns and over 100 rounds of ammunition during a February search of his home (CWB Chicago). Authorities confirmed the weapons were not used in the July 2 shooting, and no direct connection between Doyle’s charges and the River North attack has been established.
Still, the proximity of these events invites a broader reflection on the roots of violence in our communities.
While music, particularly in Chicago’s drill and rap scenes, offers a creative outlet and a reflection of lived experience, it also holds power to influence, to provoke, and in some cases, to escalate. The intersection of lyrics, online posts, and real world conflict has been well documented. Law enforcement and community advocates alike warn that violent rhetoric, whether artistic or interpersonal, can spill beyond the studio or screen and into the streets.
In honoring the lives of Taylor, Avi, Leon, and Devonte, we are also forced to confront a culture where grief is cyclical and trauma is generational. We must ask: what are we normalizing? What are we amplifying? And who is paying the price?
As federal and local investigations continue, authorities urge anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Chicago Police Department.
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