Is rapper Ankhal OK? Latino hip hop star shot multiple times in horror attack
21-year-old Latino rapper Ankhal was reportedly shot multiple times in Peurto Rico on February 22, 2022. The popular rapper, whose real name is Anthony Khalil Mercado Díaz is now in hospital along with another friend, who was also injured in the attack. So far, the police are yet to make an arrest in the case, and an investigation is ongoing they confirmed.
The brutal attack, which occurred while Ankhal was sitting in his car is just one of the latest on rappers. Of late, many musicians, especially Black artists, have become the target of gun violence. In January, Wavy Navy Pooh was shot dead in Miami. On February 2, the upcoming rapper TDott Woo was shot and killed in Brooklyn, then on February 12, Kodak Black was shot at an afterparty of Justin Beiber in Los Angeles.
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The skyrocketing violence has put a lot of focus on the rap genre, in particular on drill rap, which New York Mayor Eric Adams has said he wants to ban after the shooting of Chii Wvtttz. It appears that the situation isn't just limited to the US, as Ankhal's shooting shows. The Latino rapper, who is best known for hits like 'Piki Piki, 'Ay Baby', and 'Ruta 66' is not in great condition, according to the latest reports.
Is Ankhal ok?
Late on February 22, the rapper was in a car with two friends in the Fajardo region. Around 10:00 PM, police responded to a 911 call and found the rapper with "multiple gunshots". He was initially taken to a local hospital, before being transferred to Río Piedras Medical Center "due to the severity of his injuries," Billboard reported. The driver of the car was also injured, but the status of the third was not available.
Joaquín de la Cruz Santiago, the director of the Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) said the car with Ankhal was approached by "two masked individuals" who shot at the occupants. The duo has not yet been identified, and so far the CIC has also not established a motive for the shooting. Further updates are not available, so it's unclear what exactly the rapper's situation is, but we know he's in a critical condition.
Prayers have now begun to pour in on social media, including from musical icon Farruko. "I have always seen you as my son with love and respect, I have not stopped praying for you since I found out what happened to you. I thank God that you are still alive," the singer wrote on Instagram. He added, "I feel guilty because I opened the doors to fame for you and although I did it with good intentions, not everyone knows how to handle this."
One person tweeted, "damn they caught my boy Ankhal lackin, praying 4 that man." Another said, "Ankhal no please :(." One user said, "Crazy how yesterday Ankhal was reposting videos of Pop Smoke and hours later mfs tried to kill him." A fourth tweeted, "I really pray Ankhal recovers."
Crazy how yesterday Ankhal was reposting videos of Pop Smoke and hours later mfs tried to kill him 🤦🏽♀️
— Camila (@whoiscamc) February 23, 2022