A rising star in the rap industry has tragically had his life cut short, leaving many to grieve the loss. At the tender age of 17, rapper Rylo Huncho was on the verge of breaking big. His Spotify profile boasted over 600 monthly listeners and his tracks like ‘Money Getta’, ‘Bag Talk’, and ‘La la la’ were gaining traction.
Huncho, whose real name was Raleigh Freeman III as reported by The Direct, had also built quite the following on Instagram and TikTok, creating a vibrant community around his music.
Tragically, it has been revealed that the young talent has passed away.
He was rushed to a local hospital and pronounced dead on May 16. The circumstances surrounding his death are heart-wrenching: it was reported that he accidentally shot himself while filming a social media video the day before his death.
The Suffolk Police Department confirmed a teenager’s death from a ‘self-inflicted gunshot wound’ at 10:11 PM, which they described as accidental, according to Newsweek. Though the police did not name the victim, friends and family have identified him as Huncho.
The harrowing video that is making rounds on social media shows Huncho singing and dancing, holding a pistol that tragically went off. He seems to switch off the safety, points it at his head, and a gunshot is heard before the camera abruptly falls.
In response to this tragic event, Huncho’s cousin set up a GoFundMe page for his mother who is devastated by the loss of her only son, who was also raised without siblings in a single-parent household. The fundraiser has since closed, but the emotional plea highlighted the family’s plight and asked for prayers.
Monica Savage, Huncho’s mother, expressed her shock and sorrow to WVEC, an ABC affiliate, saying, “I didn’t know he had a gun. I did not know he had that,” as reported by Radar Online.
Avis Hawkins, Huncho’s cousin, shared her disbelief with WAVY.com (per Heavy): “When I got the news that he had been shot, it was like a total shock to me. And when I heard that he had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, that was – it’s still a hard pill to swallow.”
The tragedy has sparked a broader discussion on gun safety among teens. Kelly Drane from GIFFORDS Law Center told Newsweek that around 76 teenagers die from unintentional gunshot wounds annually, with about 40% being self-inflicted.
Drane emphasized the importance of responsible gun ownership, stating, “I think it’s really critical that parents are taking steps to make sure that their guns are not accessible to their kids. And so that means making sure the is locked and locked away in such a way that the kid can’t get access.” Safety precautions could potentially save lives in the future.