Who is J $tash? Florida rapper shoots mom-of-three and himself after locking kids out
Florida rapper J $tash was found dead on January 1, 2022, at a home in Temple City, along with a 27-year-old woman he is believed to have been dating. Police were called to the Temple City residence of the rapper and Jeanette Gallegos by Gallegos' children after they heard gunshots at around 7.00 am. When the cops arrived, they found Gallegos' body with several gunshot wounds and J $tash with what appears to be a single self-inflicted wound.
News of the rapper's death, whose real name is Justin Joseph, was confirmed by rapper SpotemGottem, who himself has a history of gun violence. The 19-year-old was hospitalized in September 2021 after surviving a drive-by shooting, after initially being arrested in July in Florida for carrying an AK-47. SpotemGottem took to Instagram to mourn, "Speechless wishing this is a dream damn J." The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department then confirmed the incident, noting that both Joseph and Gallegos had died.
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Speaking to a local radio station, sheriff's Deputy Grace Medrano said, "three juveniles, ranging in age from 5 to 11, were removed from the home unharmed upon the deputies' arrival. The three lived in the home and are believed to be the children of the deceased female victim." According to reports, Joseph was not the father and had only recently begun a relationship with Gallegos before the murder-suicide.
Who is J $tash?
Originally from New York, Joseph grew up and began his career in Florida. A 2017 profile by Crack Magazine describes Joseph as a "rapper, model, designer, and businessman." While's he's best known for his albums 'Hood Rich' and '6ix Before 7even', he's also pursued a variety of other avenues including modeling co-signs from Kanye West. "Growing up I used to sell drugs and things like that, but that taught me how to earn a living," he admitted in the Crack profile.
Despite putting out several albums, the rapper admitted "’m not even really even focussed on music," and said it was "just a platform to get myself out there and grow." It's unclear what all businesses Joseph was running, he always teased at them in interviews but never really confirmed what exactly he was up to. One thing he has confirmed though is that he spent significant time in Japan, and even collaborated with Japanese rapper KOHH.
The Crack interview appears to be one of the last Joseph gave, so it's unclear what he has been up to since. In that interview, he did confirm he had moved to New York, so it's unclear how he ended up in Temple City.
Reason for shooting
Lieutenant Derrick Alfred told The Sun that Joseph and Gallegos had been living together in the city for "a couple of months", and neighbors confirmed that they had been dating for about a year. Police were called to the home on one prior occasion, but left without making an arrest, Alfred added. On January 1, it is believed the couple was arguing about their relationship when Joseph took Gallegos into the master bedroom and locked the door.
The children would knock on the door periodically to make sure their mom was ok, but when they heard the gunshots, immediately called their grandmother, who advised them to call the cops. The children have now been taken from the home and are with family, as police try to piece together what exactly caused Joseph to shoot Gallegos and himself. An autopsy is also scheduled, but Alfred did not confirm when.
