The park in the neighborhood where Young Scooter grew up was a sea of red, white and blue yesterday as hundreds of people gathered to honor the late rapper following his death.
Young Scooter’s Life Celebrated at Neighborhood Vigil
On Thursday evening (April 3), WSB-TV Atlanta was on the scene at Bessie Branham Park in the Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta where Young Scooter’s family, friends and fans came together to celebrate his life. They all brought red, white and blue balloons to release into the air in remembrance of the late rapper, who died last week in a tragic accident while running from police. The scene looked like a family BBQ with music being played and good energy all around.
During the vigil, fellow Atlanta rapper Ralo shared memories of the days when Young Scooter’s mother opened up her home to him. Ralo admitted that he and Scooter had a falling out before he died.
“The biggest lesson that I learned throughout it is possibly that, you know, we were going through things before he passed and I just wish I would have fixed it,” Ralo explained. “I got to live with that for the rest of my life.”
Other friends at the event recalled how Scooter made an impact on the children in the community.
“A lot of the kids from his community didn’t necessarily have dads all the time or have that parental support, he always stepped in and stepped up,” said Baby Jade, a friend of Scooter. “If they needed someone to come and shout at the game, if they needed a suit for the banquet, whatever it was, he was just amazing, and Atlanta took a really big hit with this one.”
Plans for Young Scooter’s funeral are still being finalized by his family.
The 39-year-old Atlanta rapper died on March 25 after injuring his leg during a police chase. He jumped at least once fence upon running out a back door of an Atlanta home. When police found him, he had a penetrating wound to his right thigh as a result of wooden fencing material or wooden debris, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office in Atlanta. Police administered a tourniquet to stop the blood loss then Scooter was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His manner of death was listed as an accident.
Rumors that he was shot by police quickly spread on social media, which caused the Atlanta Police Department to hold a press conference shortly after Scooter’s death to clear up any confusion about what happened.
Young Scooter could possibly still be alive today if it weren’t for a fake 911 call that was made before his death. Baddies reality show participant Demi Blanco made the call and claimed gunshots were fired and a naked, bloody woman was being pushed out of a home on William Nye Drive in Atlanta. She also included details that drugs were being sold and prostitution was taking place at the home. The call resulted in officers arriving to the residence, trying to make contact with someone inside and establishing a perimeter around the home. That’s when Young Scooter ran out the back door and the subsequent events that led to his death followed.
Blanco, born Demetria Spence, claimed she made the call to protect herself and that she was the woman being assaulted.
Read More: Young Scooter’s Son Shares Tear-Jerking Message After Rapper’s Tragic Death
See the vigil in celebration of Young Scooter’s life below.
