Patrick Xavier Clark, the individual implicated in the tragic shooting of Takeoff in 2022, vehemently denied any responsibility for the artist’s untimely demise. During his court appearance on Thursday (Oct. 26), the accused shooter refuted the allegations of his involvement in the incident that claimed the life of the Atlanta native.
Clark’s defense attorney, Letitia Quinones-Hollins, released a statement to Rolling Stone, asserting, “He maintains his innocence. We do believe that he has a valid self-defense claim. I don’t think they can say with any degree of certainty that it was Patrick who actually fired the shot that took Takeoff’s life.”
Quinones-Hollins further emphasized that Clark was not even a part of the initial altercation that escalated into gunfire. She explained, “There was someone else who started the shooting, [and]it was not Patrick Clark. He was in the same position that Takeoff was in; he was trying to get out of there alive as well. He didn’t have anything to do with the argument that occurred. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when people started firing weapons.”
Clark’s upcoming court date is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2024, with legal experts predicting that the trial will likely commence in the latter half of that year. In May 2023, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that a grand jury had indicted the 34-year-old on murder charges.
Initially, Clark was released on a $1 million bond, subject to wearing an ankle monitor and confined to his parents’ residence in Houston. He was also prohibited from contacting Takeoff’s family. Despite the suspect’s legal team’s efforts to reduce his bond from an initial $2 million due to financial constraints, Judge Josh Hill rejected further requests to lower it to $300,000.
Police investigations suggested that the fatal confrontation arose after a high-stakes dice game outside 810 Billiards & Bowling in Houston. Tragically, it appeared that Takeoff, who was 28 at the time of his death, was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.
