A 17-year-old rapper from Virginia, known as Rylo Huncho, tragically shot himself while filming a profane music video for social media last week.
The incident occurred as the teenager, identified as Raleigh Freeman III, showed off a handgun on Instagram, waving the barrel and displaying its features before pulling the trigger.
Authorities in Suffolk, Virginia, have confirmed that Freeman died from an accidental gunshot wound to the head. His family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for his funeral expenses. A relative described Freeman as a single mother who did her best to take care of her son, and they are still trying to understand why he would do such a thing.
The news of Freeman’s death has also shaken his peers, with a friend confirming his passing on Facebook and asking people to stop saying negative things about him. According to the friend, Freeman went by the name Railey, and his mother is devastated by the loss.
The 17-year-old had gained a modest following on social media, with 27,000 followers on Instagram and about 680 monthly listeners on Spotify. His music often featured explicit and violent content, and his social media posts often showed him smoking marijuana.
This wasn’t the first time Freeman had displayed a gun on social media. In March, he posted a video on TikTok with a gun that appears to be the same one he used to take his own life. The news of his death has also had a profound impact on his school community, with a teacher expressing her condolences and sharing the family’s GoFundMe page on social media.
Funeral services for Freeman are still pending, according to a local funeral home. As the community mourns the loss of this young rapper, his tragic death serves as a reminder of the dangers of reckless behavior and the consequences of playing with guns. Our thoughts go out to Freeman’s family and friends during this difficult time.
