Jerome Blake murder update. Sheldon Dooley and Kenson Hunte were charged with felony murder in Jerome Blake’s April 2016 shooting death.
Aspiring rapper Jerome Blake was shot to death in a southwest Atlanta recording studio on April 20, 2016. His father then filed a lawsuit alleging that the security played a role in the death of his son Blake.
Multiple men entered the studio through an unlocked door one by one, some carrying handguns, where Sims, 28-year-old rapper Jerome Blake, and a sound engineer were working. Then soon gunfire erupted, and rapper Jerome was shot to death.
In the return fire from Sims, a 27-year-old Nathan Hannon, of Atlanta, was shot and died at the scene.
Why Did Sheldon Dooley And Kenson Hunte Murder Jerome Blake?
According to the reports, Kenson Hunte had set a plan that would ultimately lead to the deaths of two men. Before the incident, Hunte told Casey Battle, Sheldon Dooley, Nathan Hannon, and an unidentified man to rob, Caleb Simms at gunpoint inside the “Headquarters Recording Studio” on Metropolitan Parkway.
Hunte arranged the armed robbery as he wanted to get a chain and cash $50,000 that he claimed Sims had stolen from him previously. After the plan was plotted Battle contacted Sims for setting up a recording session at “Headquarters Recording Studio,” then the space was rented by Sims.
What Happened At The Headquarters Recording Studio?
After entering the studio Battle unlocked the front door and let Hannon, Dooley, and the unidentified man into the studio building. Inside the studio Sims, Jerome Blake, and a sound engineer were working. After entering into the recording Battle introduced the other men were his new producers.
With a brief introduction, one of the men pulled out his gun and yelled at Sims to give it up then the unidentified man shot Blake in the face with a .40 caliber handgun and he died at the scene. After the incident, Sims immediately retrieved his AK-47 and returned fire, which shot Hannon, and he also died at the scene.
Soon after the shootout and death of two men Dooley and the unidentified man fled the scene but Battle remained and spoke to the responding officers. During the conversation, Battle lied about his involvement at the scene but later confessed that he was coerced by Hunte into gaining access to the studio to rob Sims at gunpoint.
Kenson Hunte was not at the scene during the shooting but was involved in the attack according to police. The surveillance cameras showed the defendants entering and leaving the recording studio where the shooting occurred.
Where Are The Defendants Now?
As Casey Battle stayed in the scene and responded to the officers he was already kept in the custody and later U.S Marshals arrested Dooley in Rancho Cucamonga, California, on August 19, 2016.
Battle was convicted of felony murder, aggravated assault with a weapon, burglary, criminal attempt to armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the crime. He was sentenced to life imprisonment plus five years with the possibility of parole according to Fulton County.
Sheldon Dooley and Kenson Hunte will also face their own trial according to the DA’s office in Fulton County Superior Court.