Following the shooting of rapper Offset outside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Florida, Lil Tjay's attorney has firmly denied any involvement by her client in the violent incident.
Dawn Florio, representing Lil Tjay (real name Tione Merritt), issued a statement via Instagram on April 7, 2026, addressing the swirling rumors. "Lil Tjay has not been shot, nor has Lil Tjay been charged with any shooting," the statement read. "Any reporting to the contrary is false. We encourage people to consult trusted news sources, and to verify the occurrence of any reporting, before reflexively sharing or repeating baseless rumors."
The Seminole Police Department confirmed that Lil Tjay was arrested on April 6 and charged with disorderly conduct—affray, a first-degree misdemeanor in Florida. He also faces a charge for operating a vehicle without a valid license. According to jail records, he was released on a $3,000 bond and is awaiting trial. Police noted that a second individual was detained but not charged, and the investigation to identify others involved remains active.
Offset (Kiari Kendrell Cephus) was shot in the resort's valet area around 7 p.m. ET on April 6. His representative confirmed he was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition. The incident has drawn significant attention, partly due to Offset's history; he was previously a member of the hip-hop trio Migos, whose member Takeoff was fatally shot in Houston in 2023.
"It's hard for me to talk about s--t right now. I've never talked about this stuff. Seriously," Offset told Variety in a 2023 interview, reflecting on Takeoff's death. "Talking about Take is hard, man. Talking about all this s--t is hard."
The shooting has sparked discussions about safety and conflict in the music industry, with Lil Tjay's legal team emphasizing the importance of accurate reporting in high-profile cases.