Fact Check: Is Lil Woody dead? TikTok rumors debunked after YSL rapper's affiliate Tay's murder amid Young Thug's RICO trial

Rumors of YSL rapper Lil Woody's passing made their way on social media after news broke of a reported shooting at an apartment complex in Atlanta on June 30, 2024. Social media was filled with fans wondering if the rapper was killed in the supposed shooting in Atlanta's Peyton Place, which killed Woody's supposed affiliate, Tay.

When fans heard the news, they were confused about whether Woody had been injured or killed in the attack. However, media outlets that reported on the incident confirmed that Lil Woody was not dead.

The speculations about Woody's alleged death began when rap outlet @raphousetv7 posted the news of the shooting with a picture of Lil Woody.

The video had over 3.2 million views at the time of writing this article. It had netizens mistakenly believing that it was Lil Woody who was killed in the reported shooting.

"YSL WOODY really got killed?!" asked one person.

"why is tiktok telling me ysl woody died," another person tweeted.

However, the confusion was quickly cleared up as major mainstream media outlets announced that it was Woody's supposed affiliate Tay who was reportedly killed. They confirmed that Lil Woody was fine.

This incident came amid Young Thug's ongoing YSL RICO trial which began on November 27, 2023.

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Lil Woody was a key witness in the YSL RICO trial

Lil Woody, whose real name is Kenneth Copeland, became a star witness during fellow YSL rapper Young Thug's ongoing RICO trial in Fulton County Superior Court. Prosecutors have argued that YSL was a "criminal street gang" that went by the name Young Slime Life and was responsible for numerous crimes. The defense maintained that YSL had no gang affiliations and was short for the record label, Young Stoner Life.

Woody was scheduled to give his key testimony on June 7, 2024. However, when he was on the stand, he reportedly refused to cooperate and pleaded the Fifth Amendment when asked questions to prevent self-incrimination. This resulted in his being arrested for contempt of court.

Judge Ural Glanville, who presided over the trial, said that if Woody didn't testify, they had "several remedies," including contempt of court.

“If you don’t testify, then I as the judge in this case have several remedies. One of those is that I can hold you in contempt and jail you because the way that you get out of that contempt is to just testify,” the judge added.

After Woody's arrest, Brian Steel, Young Thug's lawyer, filed for a mistrial, but Judge Glanville denied the motion. Lil Woody took to the stand again on June 11, but the session was disrupted when Woody fired his lawyer, Miss Bumpass, mid-trial.

According to Rap-Up, Copeland is a two-time convicted felon and has been arrested in 2018 and 2021. He was arrested in 2018 for bringing an assault rifle into a public gym and leaving it unattended. Three years later, in 2021, he was arrested once again for possessing a firearm, which saw him facing a 10-year sentence.

However, his sentence was negotiated when he cooperated with authorities. He disclosed information regarding various grave crimes and agreed to help obtain a confession from Young Thug. During the recent YSL RICO trial, he was granted immunity in return for his testimony.

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The YSL RICO trial surpassed its 100th day, with no end in sight. According to Atlanta News First, the 56-count RICO case against YSL initially included Gunna, Young Thug, and 26 other YSL members, who were all arrested in May 2022.

As of now, the members standing for trial include Young Thug and his five co-defendants, Shannon Stillwell, Quamarvious Nichols, Deamonte Kendrick, Marquavius Huey, and Rodalius Ryan.