Breaking News! Rapper Dolla is shot, killed at Beverly Center! Akon's Artist

Publicist says rapper was shot in the head Monday afternoon in the valet area of the mall's parking structure. He flew to L.A. this morning to work on his first album, slated to be out this summer.

An Atlanta rapper was fatally shot at the Beverly Center on Monday afternoon, causing mall diners to dive for cover and sparking a police dragnet for suspects.

The shooting occurred around 3:10 p.m. in the parking structure of the popular Westside mall. Dolla, a rapper whose real name is Roderick Anthony Burton II, was shot in the head while he and another rapper, D.J. Shabbazz, were waiting in the valet area, according to Dolla's publicist, Sue Vannasing. A friend who was with the rappers at the Beverly Center as well as a Los Angeles Police Department source also confirmed his identity to The Times.

Two suspects fled from the scene, police said. About two hours later, Los Angeles police detained a "person of interest" as he attempted to board a plane out of Los Angeles International Airport. The man allegedly drove his silver Mercedes SUV from the mall to the airport, police said.

Burton, 21, arrived at LAX from Atlanta earlier in the day and went to the Beverly Center to do some shopping, Vannasing said.

He had apparently had a dispute with some people, perhaps at the airport, Vannasing said.

"They followed him to the mall because they knew he was coming," Vannasing said. Los Angeles police officials could not immediately confirm or deny that account.

Burton was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died, police said.

Burton was an up-and-coming rapper out of Atlanta who had recorded several singles. He was in town to work on his first album, slated to be released this summer on Jive Records, Vannasing said.

His first single, released in 2007, was "Who the [Expletive] is that?"

The shooting rattled shoppers and diners.

At a Chipotle restaurant next to the valet area, 10 people were eating when the shots rang out.

"The customers were yelling 'close the store, close the store, because somebody is shooting,' " said Elsa Hernandez, general manager of the restaurant.

The center is normally quite peaceful, said Hernandez, who's worked at the restaurant for six years.

"This is the first time this has happened here," she said.

Newton Cacho, 31, works across the street from the Beverly Center. "I'm very surprised something like this happened here. You come to a nicer part of town and you don't expect this," Cacho said.

Source: LA Times

Dolla Shot Killed In Beverly Center Shooting In Los Angeles California

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