irving plaza shooting

Troy Ave Says He’s the ‘Real Victim’ in Deadly Irving Plaza Shooting

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Troy Ave. Photo: Thaddaeus McAdams/Getty Images

On Monday, rapper Troy Ave (née Roland Collins) pled not guilty to multiple charges, including attempted murder, in connection with last week’s deadly shooting at a T.I. concert at New York’s Irving Plaza. Lawyers for the rapper, who appeared in court in a wheelchair after being shot in the leg during the altercation, claim he acted in self-defense. “He’s the real victim here,” his lawyers told the court. They say that Troy Ave and his bodyguard Ronald McPhatter, who was killed in the shooting, were shot at first in an incident not captured on the security footage that led to Troy Ave’s arrest. According to Troy Ave’s lawyers, the rapper did not shoot McPhatter or himself. “The person who was killed at this event, he died a hero. He was his bodyguard. He wasn’t shot by Mr. Collins. He was a lifelong friend,” the lawyer said in court. “This 11 seconds of video that the NYPD released, it doesn’t say what happened before, it doesn’t say what happened after. The scientific evidence will show he didn’t shoot himself.” At the hearing, Troy Ave was remanded without bail. If ballistics tests determine that the gun Troy Ave used was also responsible for McPhatter’s death, the charges reportedly could be upgraded.

Troy Ave Says He’s Victim in T.I. Show Shooting