Carnage at Mello Buckzz’s Album Release Party: 4 Dead, 14 Wounded in Chicago
Look, I don’t want to be the one to say it, but here we are again dissecting a headline nobody should be reading. Chicago rapper Mello Buckzz’s album release party turned into a bloody nightmare Wednesday night when a drive-by shooting outside the Artis Lounge left four people dead and 14 more injured. Police reports confirm the attack struck just after 11 PM on West Chicago Avenue, sending panicked fans scattering in every direction.
According to TMZ’s initial coverage and a follow-up in the Chicago Tribune, the assailant—or assailants—fired indiscriminately into the crowd of well-wishers gathered to celebrate Mello’s latest “HollyHood” EP. One passenger in a dark sedan allegedly rolled down a window, unleashed a barrage of bullets, and then peeled away into Chicago’s maze of streets before officers could even sound the sirens. Video snippets circulating on social media, captured by bystanders, feature the staccato cracks of gunfire echoing against the nightclub facade—because yes, someone thought livestreaming mid-massacre was a smart idea.
Of the four victims who did not survive, one was Mello’s boyfriend, whose name has not been publicly released, and three close friends known online as TayyTayy, Avi_Gorgeous, and “her brother,” as the rapper tearfully referred to him on Instagram. Those losses prompted Mello Buckzz to post a grief-stricken message, saying her heart “broke into so many pieces” as she held her partner’s hand until the paramedics arrived. “We were planning our future,” she wrote, “and now I’m left planning a funeral.” This macabre twist especially stings, considering her EP was slated to drop Thursday—a launch she apparently hoped would elevate her career, not bury her loved ones.
Fourteen others were rushed to nearby hospitals with injuries ranging from grazed limbs to life-threatening wounds. Three remain in critical condition: a 24-year-old shot in the back, a 25-year-old struck in the leg, and a 21-year-old who suffered a bullet to the mouth. Chicago Police Department confirms the investigation is ongoing, but no suspects have been publicly named. Community activists and city officials are once again calling for stricter nightlife security measures, with aldermen demanding answers from club owners and local law enforcement.
In the wake of the tragedy, fans and fellow artists are rallying around Mello Buckzz, donating to GoFundMe pages for medical bills and funeral costs. Rolling Stone pointed out that violence at album parties is shockingly routine in some scenes—because, surprise, when you mix large crowds and street beefs, bad things happen. Mello’s label has pledged full cooperation with authorities and is offering counseling services to witnesses.
Did anyone expect a different outcome? No? Thought so. And that, dear reader, is why we can’t have nice things.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ, Chicago Tribune, Rolling Stone
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
