A publicist for the 'Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)' hitmaker asks public to send prayers and positive energy to the rapper as he is accused of shooting and killing his cousin.
- Feb 2, 2021
AceShowbiz - Silento's team has broken their silence after the rapper was arrested on murder charges. On late Monday, February 1, his publicist released a statement on his behalf, asking for public's sympathy as it's revealed that the star has been struggling with mental health issues for years.
"Please send my client Silento some positive vibrations," the PR Manager, Chanel Hudson, said. "Over the past several years, Ricky has been suffering immensely from a series of mental health illnesses. We will continue in his efforts of treatment, but we ask in the meantime the public uplift him and his family in immediate prayer & positive energy!!"
She went on gushing about the Georgia native, "Ricky is a beautiful soul, and we hope that the same people who came up whippin' & nay nay-ing with him, continue to support him and lifted in paryer!! God bless. Any questions or comments please reach out to [email protected]. Thank you."
While some people expressed their concerns over the situation, with one commenting, "This is so sad," not a few were accusing Silent of playing victim. "You killed somebody, YOU ain't the victim," one person who didn't buy the explanation reacted to the rep's statement.
"Why do we wait for something tragic to happen to address mental health or ask for prayers concerning it?" another wondered. Someone else similarly added, "I'm not saying he don't have mental illness, but they always try to blame it on that when these situations happen."
Silento, whose real name is Richard Lamar "Ricky" Hawk, was arrested on Monday afternoon in DeKalb County on murder charges in the death of his cousin. The 23-year-old is accused of shooting and killing his cousin, 34-year-old Frederick Rooks, on January 21.
Frederick was found in the middle of the street at the intersection of Deep Shoals Circle and Corners Xing with multiple gunshot wounds to the face and leg. The incident report says the victim was bleeding severely and was pronounced dead at the scene.
"Today, Ricky Hawk, 23, was arrested for the murder of his cousin Frederick Rooks, 34," the DeKalb County Police Department tweeted on Monday afternoon. "On January 21, the DeKalb County Police Department investigated Rooks' death after he was found shot on Deep Shoals Circle. Hawk is in the DeKalb County Jail charged with Murder. #WeAreDKPD."
He is currently held in the DeKalb County Jail.
