U.S. media continued to report that Lil DJ, alias Theon Jayton Merritt, was admitted to hospital with multiple gunshot wounds after walking out of a New Jersey mall early Wednesday morning.
Police say the shooting came after the suspect tried to rob three people. Officers were called to the boardwalk in Edgewater, where two people were found injured.
Rapper Lil DJ Shot – Level changed from dangerous to stable
According to the American media “TMZ”, Lil DJ was operated on in hospital immediately after the incident and is now recovering. The victim’s second 22-year-old was found with a gunshot wound to a nearby gas station, but is said to have suffered no serious injuries. The third person was unharmed.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office (BCPO) later said that the condition of one victim in the hospital had been assessed as stable from critical and the condition of the other was well with life – threatening injuries.
“Pray for my little brother Lil DJ,” hip-hop star French Montana tweeted. Other American musicians and athletes also expressed their condolences and were shocked by the incident.
The suspect was arrested Wednesday by investigators at the Bergen County Attorney’s Office and the New York City Police Department.
He now faces three attempted murders, three armed robberies, possession of a weapon for an illegal purpose and a fourth-degree aggravated assault.
