Thug Life Army

An arrest warrant was issued on June 8^th for Philadelphia hip-hop rap artist Cassidy. The murder warrant is for the murder of a 22 year olk man during a shooting that happened April 15^th..

According to police, Cassidy (real name Barry Reese) and two other men, armed with .45 and .40 caliber handguns, 9 mm pistols, AK47 assault rifles and 7.62 mm rifles, fired on three other men during an argument that unfolded behind a house in the rapper's northwest Philadelphia neighborhood just before 1 a.m. on April 15th.

One of the men who was shot, Desmond Hawkins, 22, of Philadelphia, died from a gunshot wound to the back. The two other men were treated at area hospitals for gunshot wounds and subsequently released.

Police said a second warrant was also issued for 23-year-old Abdul West, also of Philadelphia, who, along with Cassidy, was one of the three shooters involved in the incident. Homicide detectives have been unable to identify the third shooter. Police were not immediately clear as to what Cassidy's connection might have been to the two other shooters. But according to a spokesperson for the department, all of the men involved "knew each other."

The three victims were reportedly unarmed at the time.

Michael Giampietro, Cassidy's attorney, said he expects his client will surrender himself to authorities on Friday morning.

A police spokesperson said when he does turn himself in, the rap artist will be charged with conspiracy, weapons possession and homicide.

Cassidy, the first MC of significance to be supported by Swizz Beatz's J-affiliated Full Service label, will release his sophomore album, I''m a Hustla, on June 28.