French Montana could be facing legal action after an attorney for a victim of the mass shooting during the rapper’s video shoot announced he is planning a lawsuit.
25-year-old rap music blogger Carl Leon was one of ten people injured during the shooting on Thursday night (Jan. 5). Attorney Josiah Graham claims his client was invited to the video shoot in The Licking restaurant parking lot in Miami Gardens.
Gunshots rang out during a break in filming, and Leon took off running. “As he’s running, he fell at some point,” Graham said as per NBC 6. “When he gets up, he discovers he’s been shot.”
According to the attorney, his client was “literally less than an inch away from sure death,” shot in the stomach and hand. A bullet also grazed the back of his head.
“You know, everyone was dropping but I ran, and I didn’t notice I got hit in my hand until like afterwards when everything finished and I was looking, and I seen blood dripping,” said Leon.
The blogger believes he was lucky to have escaped with his life. “If I stood there for another five seconds, you know, looking for somebody, I would’ve got his in the head,” said Leon.
After the shooting, Carl Leon was taken to Aventura Hospital to be treated for his injuries. He was released Sunday night. According to CBS Miami, his attorney is planning a lawsuit to determine responsibility.
“There was no permit issued by the Miami Gardens Police Department for any type of authorized rap video. French Montana, yes, we are looking into him,” Graham confirmed. “Because it’s our understanding that he had an unauthorized video shoot at Finger Licking, so, we’re looking into that.”
Cops Blame French Montana For The Shooting
Miami Police blamed the Coke Boys 6 creator for the shooting. They claim French Montana lacked the relevant permit to shoot a music video, violating city policy.
The chief said, “As a result of this disregard of the procedures, the unauthorized music video production led to an unfortunate situation.” He claimed, “police officers would have been in place to safeguard the community,” if the proper policy was adhered to.
French Montana, who sought shelter from the gunfire in a nearby KFC restaurant, denies he was shooting a video. Instead, he says he was “celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant.”