“A heartache no one can heal”: Netizens react as woman who was with Pop Smoke before he died speaks up four years after his death

Pop Smoke, the Brooklyn-raised American rapper, passed away on February 19, 2020, from a gunshot wound to the chest. Four years later, the woman who witnessed his murder opened up about the moments leading up to the home invasion that took his life.

Netizens poured in loving messages on the fourth anniversary of the rapper's death, February 19, 2024. Among them was Amelia Rose, who had witnessed the crime. She posted on her Instagram, recalling the incident,

"I will never forget your smile when you turned on the movie Hitch. I will never forget how scared we were that night when we looked into each other’s eyes and realized that we were about to be killed."

Social media users posted wishes about the rapper and sent messages to console the woman.

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A woman who said she was with Pop Smoke when he died recalls the incident

Bashar Barakah Jackson, known professionally as Pop Smoke, died on February 19, four years ago. On the day of the shooting, a group of people broke into the rapper’s rental home in Hollywood Hills. He was on a four-day trip to Los Angeles and shared an Instagram post that revealed the address. As per People, the artist was shot three times and died from a fatal wound to the chest.

On Monday, February 19, Amelia Rose posted an emotional message about the moments before the home invasion and Pop Smoke's death, as per Complex. She began her post's caption,

"We didn’t know each other at all, but it was you who changed my life. I never thought that I would become a witness to a murder and someone’s death. February 19, 2020, the worst night of my life."

Rose spoke about the rapper watching the movie Hitch. She also recalled the exact moment when they looked at each other before he was shot. The witness continued,

"I remember what I thought at that moment (am I really going to die and my mother will never see me again) God gave me a second chance ..that’s 4 years of depression 4 years were so hard. But I thank God for life. I will never forget you. you will forever be in my heart."

Netizens posted many tributes for Pop Smoke's fourth death anniversary and spoke about Amelia's message. Some of the reactions are given below.

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More details on the perpetrators behind Pop Smoke's death

In May 2023, an 18-year-old man admitted he fatally shot the then 20-year-old rapper in February 2020. The invaders who broke into the property included one wearing a mask and armed with a handgun.

The shooter's name has not been disclosed because he was a minor, 15, at the time of the crime. The teenager also admitted to the home-invasion robbery and allegations that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm during the crime, as per The New York Times.

The incident was described in detail during the trial in 2023. The defendants entered Jackson’s bedroom and confronted him while he was in the shower. The 15-year-old boy hit the rapper with the pistol. According to court documents, he shot him three times in the back. As per Billboard, the group soon ran off with Pop Smoke’s watch, a diamond-studded Rolex that they sold for $2,000.

Three other people were charged for Pop Smoke's death. Along with the 18-year-old, there was another juvenile defendant who was a minor at the time. Their names have not been disclosed. As per Hip Hop Dx, the remaining two were identified as Corey Walker and Keandre Rodgers, who were 19 and 18 in 2020, respectively.

The 18-year-old shooter is expected to be held in a state juvenile facility until he turns 25.

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Pop Smoke has two studio albums, one of which, Faith, was released posthumously. He also has several other EPs, Singles, and Mixtapes.