A 34-year-old man was shot dead Friday night outside a South Los Angeles smoke shop, and reports indicate he was the son of rap executive and alleged gang leader Eugene "Big U" Henley. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were dispatched to the intersection of 69th Street and Figueroa Street after a shooting call was reported at 11:11 p.m., as confirmed by an LAPD spokesperson to KTLA.
According to authorities, the victim approached a suspect vehicle before being shot. The shooters then fled in an unknown direction. The victim, a Black male, was pronounced dead at the scene. While law enforcement has not confirmed whether the shooting was gang-related, nor publicly identified the victim by name, the Los Angeles County Office of the Medical Examiner corroborated on Saturday that the deceased is Jabari "Baby Uiie" Henley. TMZ further reported, via family sources, that Jabari was fatally shot, and footage of the scene appears to show that the LAPD attempted life-saving measures unsuccessfully.
Jabari Henley's father, "Big U," is known for his influence in the L.A. rap scene and his alleged ties to the Rollin' 60’s Neighborhood Crips gang. He has been implicated in numerous crimes, including a 43-count federal indictment involving racketeering, fraud, extortion, and embezzlement, as reported by TMZ. Currently incarcerated, "Big U" also faces allegations connected to the 2021 killing of an aspiring rapper in Las Vegas, though these have not been listed in the charges, per NBC Los Angeles. Despite the serious nature of the accusations, Henley has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence.
In the wake of the tragedy, among the mourners is another of Henley's sons, Daiyan, who plays as a linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers. Luce Cannon, housed with Big U at the Metropolitan Detention Center, told TMZ, "God makes no mistakes," expressing that they are both devastated but resilient in facing the ordeal. The elder Henley's case is set to be discussed at a status conference this coming Wednesday at the U.S. Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.
