A Tennessee rapper accused of murdering Young Dolph in November was arrested by federal authorities Tuesday afternoon.
Justin Johnson, 23, allegedly shot the 36-year-old “RNB” rapper, whose real name is Adolph Thornton Jr., inside a Memphis bakery on Nov. 17, US Marshals said last week.
Two masked gunman fled the bakery in a Mercedes Benz tied to another shooting following the brazen broad daylight hit, surveillance footage showed.
Johnson was arrested on a first-degree murder warrant around 3 p.m. at an undisclosed location in Indiana, according to a Tuesday news release from the feds.
Marshals noted that Johnson, who raps under the name Straight Dropp, was not as successful in the music business as the late “Preach” recording artist, who survived a 2017 shooting at the hands of rivals.
Young Dolph was shot and killed November 17.Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP
Justin Johnson has been arrested for the murder of rapper Young Dolph.AP / US Marshals Service“Johnson, another Memphis rapper with a lower profile than that of Thornton, appeared to post on his Instagram account over the weekend his intention to turn himself in to authorities, according to multiple media outlets,” officials said in the release.
Instead of turning himself in over the weekend, Straight Dropp released a music video Monday with lyrics that taunted investigators. The suspect rapped “Feds watching on fake pages, don’t up guns up in my camera, Keep my mask, the only time he see my face when I’ma blam him,” as he posed with a wad of cash in a gas station parking lot.
Fans of Young Dolph set up a memorial outside of Makeda’s Cookies bakery.Getty Images / Justin FordJohnson had gang ties along with an outstanding warrant for violating federal supervised release in connection with a weapons offense, feds noted. A $15,000 reward had been available for information leading to the arrest of the suspected killer.
A press conference was scheduled for Wednesday.
