Source: Variety / Getty
Cleopatra Bernard, the mother of slain rapper XXXTentacion, has finally received justice for her son’s untimely passing.
On March 20, the three men involved in XXXTentacion’s fatal 2018 shooting were found guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery.
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After the verdict was announced, Bernard took to Instagram to pay homage to her son and thank fans for their support.
“You finally got justice Jah,” she wrote over a picture of the young hip-hop star on her Instagram Stories, according to Complex. In a follow-up post, the grieving mother shared a photo of herself wearing a shirt with the “Look At Me” rapper’s face on it, writing, “I made sure you were present in the room.”
XXXTentacion, real name Jahseh Onfroy, was shot and killed outside of the RIVA Motorsports dealership in Broward County, Florida June 18, 2018.
According to NewsOne, the late rapper was reportedly carrying $50,000 in cash in a Louis Vuitton satchel at the time of the incident. Sources say he was going to use the money to purchase a motorbike from the shop.
As the rap star was leaving the establishment with an associate named Leonard Kerr, his vehicle was blocked by an SUV. Two men, identified as Michael Boatwright and Trayvon Newsome, swarmed around the artist’s car, demanding that the rapper hand over his jewelry and the designer bag filled with money.
Leonard Kerr shares harrowing details of XXXTentacion’s murder during testimony
In February, during opening statements for XXXTentacion’s murder trial, Kerr testified that one of the men pointed his weapon at him while the other tried to pull the rapper’s gold chain from his neck, according to the Associated Press. Kerr said X looked confused and repeatedly asked the assailants, “What’s this for?” Eventually, Kerr gained enough courage to open the passenger door and run, leaving the “Moonlight” hitmaker to fend for himself in the vehicle.
As he ran away, Kerr recalled hearing “at least two loud bangs.” He turned around to see Newsome and Boatwright fleeing in their SUV. Authorities believe Newsome swiped XXXTentacion’s jewelry and his designer bag filled with $50,000 in cash while Boatwright allegedly opened fire on the rapper, who died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Boatwright, Newsome and a third assailant named Dedrick Williams who drove the SUV, will be sentenced April 6.
Robert Allen, the fourth suspect involved in the rapper’s robbery, struck a plea deal in 2022 after he agreed to testify against all three men.
Allen stayed in the vehicle throughout the chaotic heist. During his testimony in February, he recalled telling the group that he didn’t think it was “a good idea” to carry out the robbery given the store’s heavy presence of security cameras. He also accused Boatwright of firing the three shots that ultimately killed the rapper.
