Snellville, Georgia, used to be the kind of podunk town that was frequently a punch-line in Lewis Grizzard's columns, mainly because there's just something funny-sounding about that name, "Snellville."
But whereas Snellville had fewer than 2,000 residents in 1970, it is now home to more than 20,000 residents amid the explosive growth of Gwinnett County in the suburbs of Atlanta. The town's newfound popularity might explain why Snellville was the chosen abode of Atlanta-based rapper Tevin Hood, a/k/a T-Hood, who had recorded such tunes as "Perculator," "Ready 2 Go" and -- how can we forget? -- "Big Booty."
T-Hood made headlines this week (not in a good way) and it prompted my brother Kirby to lament, "Finally, at last, somebody famous moved to Snellville, and now he's done got shot to death."
Y'all, the hip-hop community is in turmoil over this:
Gwinnett County police are investigating a fatal shooting at a home in unincorporated Snellville that left an Atlanta rapper dead last Friday evening.
Officers from the South Precinct responded around 7 p.m. to a residence in the 3900 block of Lee Road after receiving reports of a dispute and gunfire.
When they arrived, they found 33-year-old Tevin Hood of Snellville suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers provided aid until Gwinnett County Fire Rescue transported him to a hospital, where he later died.
Police said one person was detained at the scene and is being interviewed by detectives. The case is being investigated as a homicide, and the motive has not yet been determined. That person has not been identified.
Hood's mother confirmed with TMZ that her son was shot at his home, but she denied reports of a party going on at the home at the time of the shooting.
Such was the initial report on Monday, but the drama escalated once it was learned that (a) the man suspected of shooting T-Hood was none other than Ky Frost,the 24-year-old son of Rasheeda and Kirk Frost, stars of the reality program Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, now in its 13th season on MTV. Perhaps some of our readers don't keep up with the hip-hop community in Atlanta (or anywhere else), but within that community, Rasheeda Frost is royalty, a bona fide superstar, and for her son (who is also a rapper) to be implicated in T-Hood's death is Very Big News.
And the news is getting spicy, y'all:
The shooting death of Atlanta rapper T-Hood is being investigated as a "possible self-defense" case, Gwinnett Police said Tuesday. . . .
In an update Tuesday, the Gwinnett County Police Department said it happened when a "domestic disturbance occurred at the residence." A woman was injured in that incident, and a police statement indicated the shooting was in response to the "physical altercation" that left her injured.
The shooter, police said, "remained on scene at the time of the incident, and both the shooter and witnesses continue to cooperate with investigators." . . .
"Currently, there is no evidence to suggest the involvement of additional parties beyond those residing in the home. Although the investigation is still ongoing and additional information will be released when it becomes available, this case is being investigated as a possible self-defense shooting," the GCPD statement Tuesday said.
What? Everybody involved was "residing in the home"? It turns out that T-Hood's girlfriend was 30-year-old Kelsie Frost, the older half-sister of Ky Frost, and all of them -- Ky, Kelsie and T-Hood -- were living in this Snellville house that is actually owned by Ky and Kelsie's parents.
Oh, my friends, the drama quickly intensified:
Kirk Frost's daughter Kelsie Frost denies claims that she set up her boyfriend, local rapper T-Hood, who was fatally shot in his home on Aug. 8. . . .
T-Hood's mother, Yulanda denied reports that her son hosted a party at his house at the time of the shooting. . . .
Rapper T-Hood's sister, Jayda, implicated Kelsie in his murder. But Kelsie denied the claim in an emotional post on her Instagram Story.
"First off, I've been advised not to speak up by plenty of parties. I can't sit back and let this narrative being created go on. The love of my life is GONE. . . . I don't even have time to grieve or say my respects in the right manner because I am defending myself, being attacked by people who are creating weird and sick rumors. . . .
"So please stop listening to people who weren't there, listening to all of these rumors and conspiracy theories will get nobody anywhere but just following a false narrative."
At this point, the story is: "There was a domestic altercation and Kelsie suffered 'physical injuries,' according to an incident report. Ky arrived at the home after the altercation ended. He reportedly shot T-Hood in self-defense." Did I mention -- because it might be relevant -- that at the time of his death, T-Hood was recovering from recently having been shot three times in a separate incident? Dude was a bullet magnet, I reckon.
Nevertheless, his mama wants justice:
Yulanda Bandy, Hood's mother, said her family is demanding answers and justice for his death. On Wednesday, she told the AJC she "just wants the truth." She said her son was dating Kirk Frost's daughter, Kelsie, at the time of his death. On Instagram, Kelsie posted a tribute to Hood, saying "I can't wait to hold you again."
Hood was the oldest, and the only son, of Bandy's four children. He has a 6-year-old daughter, Shiloh.
"He loved his little girl, so we gotta make sure she's taken care of. ... He was a wonderful person," Bandy, of Lithonia, said. "He loved everybody. He loved gatherings. ... He was our celebrity." . . .
His family is making arrangements for a public funeral next weekend. In the meantime, they've posted a GoFundMe for support.
"I just wish I had more time with my baby boy," Bandy said. "We're gonna keep fighting for justice."
Justice for Snellville's most famous (but now deceased) resident!
Back in the day when there were only 2,000 people living there, Snellville didn't have a lot of shootings, but they didn't have much anything, honestly. Now they're world-famous -- progress!