A teen rapper tragically shot himself when he pointed a gun to his head and accidentally fired while filming a video, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Rylo Huncho, 17, was rapping on TikTok as he showed off a handgun with a green laser light. The video — which has since been removed from social media — takes a shocking turn when Huncho points the pistol at his head, leading to a loud bang as the video feed suddenly becomes shaky.
Police in Suffolk, Virginia confirmed that a 17-year-old was found dead on May 15, and investigators said they believed his death was caused by an “accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound," the New York Post reported this week.
The outlet noted that Huncho appeared to have switched off the gun's safety moments before pulling the trigger.
The teen's family set up a GoFundMe account to help his grieving mother, confirming in the description that "suicide/accidental was the cause of his death" and that "we are still trying to figure out why."
The rapper's mother "lost her 17 year old son from a self inflicted gun wound to the head," the description stated, adding that Huncho "was her only son."
"He was her only child she was also an only child it was always her and her son," the family wrote. "Anything can help ! Please keep my family in your prayers thank you so much."
As of Tuesday morning, the crowdfunding page had brought in a little more than $3k of its $15k goal.
The Direct reported that the rapper's legal name was Raleigh Freeman III. He was rushed to a hospital 15 miles away, where he was pronounced dead from the gunshot wound.
One of his friends, Twin Porter, posted a Facebook tribute to the rapper on Tuesday, featuring a photo collage with the caption, "Forever in our hearts."
A woman identifying as an educator, Kayla Dorsey, also reflected on the tragic incident in a Facebook post, writing, "Unfortunately, I am all too familiar with tragedy."
"Over the past 14 years I’ve experienced the loss of numerous students and former students, and that never gets easy," she continued, adding that she "didn't have the opportunity to meet this young man," but met "his older cousin and a close friend," who "spent their lunch quietly walking the halls" and spreading the word about the GoFundMe.
"I’ve learned quite recently that there’s never a 'right' thing to say to someone when they’ve lost a loved one, so I reminded them that being strong doesn’t mean not crying and that they’re always welcome in my classroom if they need a quiet space or someone to talk to," Dorsey added.
"On their behalf, I’m hoping to solicit your help as well. If you can donate, please do, and if you can’t, please share."