Justin Bieber Leaves LA After Attending Chris Brown Pre-VMA Party Amid Conflicting Reports
Justin Bieber blew out of LAX airport on Sunday afternoon, after a dramatic weekend during which pal Chris Brown co-hosted two pre-VMA parties with singer/songwriter Pia Mia.
Reports conflict on whether Bieber was at Brown’s pre-VMAs and album launch party at the 1OAK nightclub in West Hollywood on Saturday, where Black Kapital Records CEO and rap mogul Marion ‘Suge’ Knight was shot six times early Sunday. A 32-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman were also shot.
Previously, TMZ reported Brown co-hosted a party at an LA mansion hours before the bash at 1OAK bash.
However, Page Six is reporting Brown’s house party in the Hollywood Hills took place after the shootings, and it was there that Bieber was seen walking around.
The “Baby” singer was also spotted chatting to hip hop artist Bera at the mansion soiree.
(Photo: Bieber chatting to Bera at Brown’s co-hosted pre-VMA party at an LA mansion.)
Photos and Instagram videos posted by other revellers showed Justin enjoying himself on a dancefloor wearing a fedora and sunglasses at Brown’s house-based event.
Keeping Up With The Kardashians reality TV starlets, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and Avril Lavigne were also guests at the same party.
TMZ and Mail Online previously reported there was no evidence Bieber attended the 1OAK bash. Now, The Sun, Mashable, New York Daily News, The Daily Beast among other media outlets are reporting the Canadian was at the Sunset Strip nightclub.
“He [Justin] was attending the Chris Brown party as a guest,” a source told The Sun.
The insider reportedly added: “Obviously everyone was very worried but luckily he was fine.”
It remains to be seen which version is correct. Not that it really matters though, since Bieber was just a guest.
Of Knight’s shooting, initial reports speculated that the gunshots were intended for Brown.
But sources refutes that.
“It was organized chaos, Suge was shot right after talking to Chris Brown,” one source told Page Six.
Another insider said Knight was shot just moments after talking to Chris Brown.
The witness said: “Suge was talking to Brown who was on a podium.”
They added: “They seemed to be having a friendly conversation that lasted a few minutes.”
“About 30 seconds later, shots rang out and Suge was hit. The shooter definitely wasn’t aiming for Chris, because he was right there – stood above everyone, front and center.”
It’s reported police are focusing on gang rivalry as a motive due to Knight’s alleged ties to the Bloods gang.
Gossip Cop reports Suge was turned down by 1OAK doormen. As yet, no-one knows how he eventually got inside.
A source on the scene told the outlet: “The doormen turned him down” at first.
Either way, Knight’s extensive criminal history and violent run-ins — reported here and here – make the plural attempts on his life somewhat inevitable.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the shootings took place around 01:37 am. Page Six claims police arrested the shooter at the club.
But, in an another example of conflicting reports, The Associated Press reports LA County detectives have not identified a suspect and are now reviewing security camera footage and appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Biddle said Monday that investigators believe as many as 20 people witnessed the shoot-out, but says potential witnesses are staying quiet.
Guests at 1OAK included Mark Ballas, Richard Simmons, model/actor, Tyson Beckford and Black Eyed Peas member apl.de.ap. The latter two told TMZ they heard four shots inside the club.
After Knight was shot six times — once in the arm, five times in the stomach and chest — he walked out of the club by himself.
He was reportedly spotted by police officer, who waited with the bleeding rap impresario until an ambulance arrived. He was taken to Cedars-Sinai hospital for emergency surgery, and is reportedly in a stable condition along with the other two victims.
The Death Row Records co-founder was previously shot at a 2005 pre-VMA bash hosted by Kanye West. In that incident, at a Miami club, Knight was hit in the upper leg when a shooter opened fire in a VIP room.
(Video: Brown jumping on a table after shots were fired at 1OAK.)
Brown made it out of 1OAK unscathed. He later took to Twitter at around 05:45 am LA time on Sunday to slam the violence to his 13.6 million followers:
It’s disappointing that we as a society can’t have fun or enjoy ourselves without any altercations sometimes. Miss me with the bullshit!!!
— Chris Brown (@chrisbrown) August 24, 2014
Other guests hit out at 1Oak for not searching guests for weapons when they arrived.
One girl wrote: “1oak thanks for not checking and patting folks down. U let people bring guns in ur club.”
Meanwhile, Bieber kept his Twitter feed free of any references to Brown’s events or Knight’s shooting. He posted a snap on Sunday of his day before visit to LA’s Guitar Center.
What is next pic.twitter.com/x29oMzEIbn
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) August 24, 2014
Bieber followed that with a shirtless selfie posted during MTV’s Video Music Awards held in Los Angeles last night.
His wisdom for the day? “Afternoon naps are crucial.”
[Images via Getty Images/Mail Online.]
