Lil Durk locked up after U.S. Marshals arrested him on Thursday, accusing the Grammy-winning rapper of organizing a murder-for-hire plot targeting fellow artist Tyquian Bowman, better known as Quando Rondo. The 32-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Durk Devontay Banks, was taken into custody near Miami International Airport and is currently being held without bail at Broward County Jail.
The Roots of a Deadly Feud
The tension between Lil Durk’s music collective, Only The Family (OTF), and Quando Rondo’s circle has been simmering for years. It reached a boiling point in 2020 with the tragic killing of King Von, a rising Chicago rapper and close friend of Banks, outside an Atlanta nightclub. Von’s death set off a chain of violent events, intensifying the rivalry between the two camps.
According to an affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Sarah Corcoran, Banks allegedly sought revenge for Von’s death, believing Bowman was connected to the incident. The court documents suggest that Banks put a price on Bowman’s head, setting in motion an elaborate plan involving multiple members of OTF.
A Meticulously Planned Attack
Federal investigators say the plot began unfolding on August 18, 2022, when Banks’ group learned that Bowman was staying at a Los Angeles hotel. Five OTF members flew one-way from Chicago to San Diego, allegedly preparing for the ambush. Meanwhile, Banks and an associate named Kavon Grant reportedly took a private jet from Miami to Los Angeles to coordinate the attack.
Grant, according to the affidavit, used Banks’ credit card to book hotel rooms at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, where the hit team stayed the night before the operation. The group purchased ski masks and weapons, including a gun modified for automatic fire, and rented two vehicles with fake license plates to follow Bowman.
The team tracked Bowman and his cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, as they moved around Los Angeles in a black Cadillac Escalade. The affidavit describes how the group followed the Escalade from a marijuana dispensary to a clothing store on Melrose Avenue, waiting for the right moment to strike.
That moment came when Bowman stopped at a gas station near the Beverly Center. According to the indictment, three masked gunmen got out of one of the vehicles. Robinson, who was standing outside the Escalade, was fatally shot in the ambush, but Bowman escaped with his life.
Swift Departure, Swift Arrest
After the failed hit, the team reportedly boarded a flight back to Chicago, thinking they had covered their tracks. But federal agents were already closing in. On Thursday morning, law enforcement raided the homes of the alleged shooters in Chicago.
Meanwhile, Banks made arrangements to leave the country. U.S. Customs and Border Protection flagged bookings showing Banks had purchased one-way tickets to Dubai and Switzerland, scheduled to leave that same night. He was also listed on a private flight to Italy. Before he could escape, U.S. Marshals arrested him near the Miami airport.
Indictment Names OTF Members
An unsealed federal indictment charges Banks and five OTF members—Kavon Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey, and Asa Houston—with conspiring to murder Bowman. Authorities describe OTF as a “hybrid organization” that operates both as a music collective and a street gang, blurring the lines between art and crime.
A Community in Shock
The news of Lil Durk’s arrest has sent shockwaves through the hip-hop community. For fans, it’s hard to reconcile the talented artist behind hits like The Voice and Laugh Now Cry Later with someone facing such serious accusations. Industry insiders have long warned about the dangerous intersection between music, fame, and street life, and this case brings that troubling reality into sharp focus.
As Banks awaits his next court appearance, his legal team has not issued a public statement. Whether or not these charges hold up in court, the arrest raises uncomfortable questions about the price of loyalty, the risks of revenge, and the ways personal loss can spiral into public tragedy.
This is a developing story, and more updates are expected in the coming days.
