Memphis police release photos of 2 suspects wanted over Young Dolph's shooting death

The Memphis Police Department have released surveillance photos of two suspects wanted in the shooting death of rapper Young Dolph as he was buying cookies at a well-known Memphis bakery on Wednesday.

The two masked suspects are seen getting out of a white, two-door Mercedes Benz armed with guns and wearing sweatshirts, as they approach the rapper, whose real name is Adolph Thornton, Jr., as he was inside Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies, police said in a statement on Facebook.

Investigators say the two suspects shot him several times, eventually fleeing.

Young Dolph was pronounced dead at the scene.

So far, no arrests have been made in the 36-year-old's death, and police say the investigation is ongoing.

"This shooting is another example of the senseless gun violence we are experiencing locally and nationwide," Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis said during a news conference Wednesday. "Our hearts go out to the Thornton family and all who are affected by this horrific act of violence."

The rapper, who is from Memphis, released a successful, independently produced debut album, King of Memphis, in 2016.

Young Dolph released three albums that reached the top 10 in the Billboard 200, including his latest solo work, Rich Slave, which was released in 2020.

Rich Slave became his highest-charting project, peaking at number four on the Billboard 200.

The rapper was the victim of multiple shootings in recent years

In February 2017, more than 100 shots were fired at Young Dolph's bulletproof SUV in Charlotte, N.C. He was not injured — and he later released a song about the incident called "100 Shots."

Later that same year in September, he was involved in another shooting outside of a hotel in Los Angeles. LAPD officials told Los Angeles TV station KTLA that the shooting occurred after an argument with three men, "which escalated to a physical fight."

During the fight, Young Dolph was knocked to the ground as one of the suspects pulled out a handgun and began shooting at him, LAPD said. The rapper was able to escape from the scene, running to a nearby store.

He was later taken to a hospital and underwent surgery, making a full recovery. The investigation involving the September 2017 shooting is still ongoing.

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