Video Of XXXTentacion Slumped Over And Dying After Gunshot Goes Viral Online, Sparks Controversy

Video of rapper XXXTentacion in his final minutes after a fatal shooting spread quickly online on Monday, sparking controversy and pushback from those who believed it was insensitive to share the disturbing footage.

The 20-year-old rapper was shot on Monday afternoon in what police described as a targeted attack. He was declared dead close to an hour after the news was first released, Page Six reported.

Police are still investigating the shooting, but initial reports indicate that two men in dark clothing and at least one wearing a mask approached the rapper after he went shopping for a motorcycle, shooting him. Some reports indicate that he was robbed as well. There is no indication yet if police have a suspect or suspects in the fatal shooting.

Almost immediately after news of XXXTentacion’s shooting hit the internet, video emerged from the scene showing the rapper slumped over the seat of a sports car unconscious while a group of people looked on. One of the people appeared to be checking the rapper’s arm for a pulse, and none could be found.

The video went on to show a close-up image of the rapper’s body, though it did not seem to show any apparent blood or gunshot wound. It was not clear if he was dead at the time the video was taken, as police in Broward County announced that XXXTentacion was declared dead after being taken to the hospital, but did not specify exactly when he was killed.

After news circulated that XXXTentacion had been killed, many took to Twitter to ask others not to share the video, saying it was disrespectful to the rapper. Some of the critics of the 20-year-old rapper even shared gloating or happy messages with the video, reveling in the death of the rapper who had been accused of violently abusing his pregnant girlfriend.

Many actively called on others to delete the video or refrain from watching it.

Please don't share that video of XXXtentacion. Please.

— alex medina (@mrmedina) June 18, 2018

idc if you don’t like xxxtentacion or not but posting that video of his dead body in the car is so disgusting

— daisy (@ANNOYlNGWOMAN) June 18, 2018

Others called out news outlets for sharing the video, especially at the time when XXXTentacion’s fate was not yet known. The video was embedded in a story from TMZ, one of the first outlets to report on the rapper’s shooting. The TMZ video showed the scene but pixelated his motionless body.

At least some versions of the video of the aftermath of XXXTentacion’s shooting appear to have been taken down, though many other copies were circulating across social media after his death.