Rapper Lil Durk – real name Durk Banks – has been cleared of the attempted murder charges that were brought against him in Atlanta in 2019.
In May of that year, the rapper turned himself in to the Atlanta Police Department, who had issued a warrant for his arrest in connection to a February shooting outside restaurant The Varsity.
He and the late rapper King Von (who died in November 2020) appeared in court, where they were charged by a Fulton County judge with conspiracy to attempt murder, aggravated assault, participation in street gang activity, possession of firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of firearm by a convicted felon.
Per WSB-TV, the charges against Banks have now been dropped, with a Dismissal of Charges Motion issued by Georgia’s Superior Court of Fulton County. In it, District Attorney Fani T. Willis cites “prosecutorial discretion” as the reason, writing: “the facts of this case have been reviewed and, although it appears that probable cause existed for the defendant’s arrest, the decision of the District Attorney at this time is not to prosecute.”
Speaking to WSB-TV in a statement, Banks’ attorney Manny Arora said: “While it took three years for the State to make the right decision, in the end the right decision was made and Mr. Banks can finally put this event behind him.”
“I have nothing to hide. I have nothing to run from,” Banks added.
After news of the warrant for his arrest broke, Banks took to Instagram to announce his intentions to turn himself into authorities. He also released an aptly titled single ‘Turn Myself In’, in which he rapped “false accusations why they name droppin’“.
In August, the rapper was injured during his set at Lollapalooza, after he accidentally walked into a pyrotechnic cannon and received two blasts of smoke to the face.