Shooting at Drake's Toronto mansion leaves security guard 'seriously injured'
A security guard was critically injured in a drive-by shooting at the Toronto residence of renowned Canadian rapper, Drake. The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Tuesday (local time) in the affluent Bridle Path neighborhood. The Toronto Police Service reported that an unidentified individual targeted the guard stationed outside the property's gates before swiftly fleeing the scene in a vehicle. An investigation is currently underway.
Guard suffered a chest gunshot; rushed to a nearby hospital
The guard, whose identity is yet to be revealed, suffered a chest gunshot wound and was found unconscious by the police. He was immediately transported to a nearby hospital due to severe injuries. The motive behind the shooting is currently being investigated by Paul Krawczyk from the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force of the Toronto Police Service. Reports suggest Drake's team is actively assisting in the probe.
Could ongoing feud between Drake and Kendrick be the reason?
This unfortunate incident follows a growing dispute between Drake and fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar. The feud escalated when Lamar released a diss track featuring an image of Drake's mansion as its cover art. Within 36 hours, Lamar had released three similar diss tracks about Drake. Fans of Lamar have even renamed parts of Drake's neighborhood on Google Maps with names like "kendrickownsdrake," "CertifiedKidLover," "Kendrick's Pool," and "ChildMOE-lester."
Origin and escalation of the rappers' feud
The disagreement between Lamar and Drake originated a month ago when Lamar criticized both Drake and J Cole in his song First Person Shooter. In response, Drake released a diss track accusing Lamar of domestic violence. Further intensifying the feud, Lamar alleged that Drake has a secret daughter. In another song titled Not Like Us, Lamar labeled Drake as a "certified pedophile" and made multiple references to alleged interactions with younger women.
Lamar's track featured a satellite image of Drake's property
To note, Lamar's Not Like Us track featured a satellite image of Drake's expansive 50,000 sqft mansion—the same property that was later the scene of Tuesday's shooting. Additionally, as reported by the Guardian, the ongoing tussle between the two rappers has had a positive impact on at least one local business in Toronto. After Lamar mentioned the Chinese restaurant New Ho King, business at the longstanding eatery, established in the 1970s, surged significantly.
