Texas rapper, 5-year-old daughter killed in targeted shooting at car wash

A man and a young child were shot and killed at a car wash in Forest Hill, Texas, on Monday morning, according to police. Authorities believe the shooting was targeted.

The incident occurred just before 11 am at Slappy’s Express Car Wash on Forest Hill Drive. Police say a 30-year-old man and a 5-year-old girl were inside a car wash bay when two men exited a four-door Kia and opened fire on them before fleeing the scene.

Officers attempted to administer aid, but both victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Aerial footage captured evidence markers surrounding a maroon Dodge Challenger, KDFW reported.

Authorities have identified one of the suspects and issued a warrant for their arrest, but police have not yet released their name. The second suspect remains unidentified. Due to the large crowd that gathered at the scene, additional officers were called in to assist with crowd control.

While police have not officially named the victims, family members at the scene identified them as Chuckie Smith, a local rapper known as G$ Lil Ronnie, and his 5-year-old daughter.

"He was a rapper. He didn’t bother anybody. He didn’t target anybody. He was a family man, and he was going around rapping, okay. Why would you target him?" said Stella Houston, the victim’s aunt.

Houston also shared that the young girl had just celebrated her birthday the day before the shooting.

"Cleaning the car out, and somebody came through shooting and killed him and the baby," she said. "And a baby. His baby. A baby!"

Becky Johnson, who lives across the street from the car wash, said she heard multiple rounds of gunfire. "Six the first time, and then it was half a second, and I heard six more. Then a second later, I heard three," she recalled.

The investigation is ongoing, and police have not disclosed a possible motive for the shooting.