Who is C Blu? Bronx teen rapper accused of shooting cop with stolen gun after fight
THE BRONX, NEW YORK CITY: A 16-year-old rapper has been arrested in The Bronx after reportedly shooting a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer during a fight on January 18. The teen, identified as Camrin Williams, has since pleaded not guilty to multiple weapons-related charges, with his lawyer claiming the officer shot him during the tussle. The fight took place as a group of policemen were trying to break up a "disorderly group" outside a notorious Bronx apartment on Lorillard Place near Third Ave.
The incident is just the latest instance of rampant gun crime in New York City, which has often led to some bizarre and dangerous situations. In November 2021, two men in The Bronx suddenly exchanged gunfire in broad daylight, after coming across each other in the street. Earlier in August, Raphael Rosado was arrested for shooting at police who attempted to arrest him and his son, an exchange in which cops tragically killed Rosado's son. Times Square has seen numerous shootings in 2021, and in July, a newly-wed Marine was injured in one such incident.
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In the Williams' incident, police allege he fired a round through his own leg which ended up grazing Officer Kaseem Pennant, which his lawyer disputes. The case is just the latest legal trouble Williams finds himself in, a far cry from his original plans.
Who is Camrin Williams?
The 16-year-old is a rapper who goes by the name C Blu and a member of the Reyway crew. He's got over 20,000 subscribers on YouTube, and a few of his songs even have over 1 million views. Despite having just six posts, he's also widely popular on Instagram and raked up over 55,000 followers. He's also become widely associated with gangs in the area, and even has links to Kay Flock, a hip-hop artist that was recently arrested for murder.
NY Daily News reported that Williams only recently began blowing up as a teen star, but was a very diligent student before. In a January 2022 interview, he said, "I’m on my school s--t still. You gotta be smart ... I want to be a biochemist, besides this rapping s**t." He admitted he was "really into science" and wanted to go to college. But somehow, he found himself sidetracked and began taking on opposition gangs and signing about guns.
Williams' attorney Dawn Florio admitted that he was being homeschooled since November because his fame had become "a distraction". It's unclear if he will go on to college, having recently signed on with Interscope Records and having received a "large advance in the hundreds of thousands of dollars." However, his music has also landed him in legal trouble. At the time of the January 18 incident, Williams was reportedly out on probation for gun possession. That stemmed from a May 2020 arrest for possession of a Taurus firearm in one of his music videos when he was just 14.
The prosecution argued that "This defendant has taken to social media and appeared multiple times displaying a firearm that looks similar to the firearm he possessed in the incident." It's unclear how Williams obtained the gun, but reports say it was stolen. As a result, a judge has imposed a $20,000 bail on Williams. It's unclear if he has managed to post it as of January 21. Reports say Officer Pennant was released from the hospital on January 19.