"He might be safer back in jail"— Internet reacts as Pop Smoke's killer cuts off ankle monitor as probation officer shares concern 

Late rapper Pop Smoke’s alleged killer, King Vermont Raskel, was released from the Secure Youth Treatment Facility, a California-based juvenile detention center, last week after serving four years, reportedly to celebrate his 21st birthday.

On Thursday, June 27, the alleged murderer posted a video of himself cutting off his ankle monitor while sitting in the front seat of a car and then tossing it away in what seemed to be a parking lot on his Instagram handle, @vblockstarr3.

King Vermont Raskel was dressed in a hoodie and a pair of pants and had his face covered with a matching mask. The caption of his post read:

“This not to influence any negative behavior this is what I been dealing wit my whole life. So, to be violated for my safety, I refuse to let them determine if I feel safe or not.”

Raskel also shared an Instagram Story with the text, “The sh*t I gotta go threw” which showed him talking to his probation officer over the phone on speaker, who expressed concern for his safety and urged him to share his location so that she could take him somewhere safe.

“I am scared for your safety, honestly,” she could be heard saying.

In the wake of these now-viral videos, netizens have reacted in a variety of ways, with the majority expressing disbelief over why he was released from prison being the alleged shooter of Pop Smoke and urging him to return to prison for his own and others' safety.

“He might be safer back in jail ngl,” a person wrote.

Many others chimed in and wrote,

“I hope he’s ready to live the rest of his life in hiding,” one person wrote.

“He gonna get that Foolio treatment,” another person wrote.

“I still don’t understand how he’s already a free man. He should’ve been charged as an adult. Liberal DAs suck,” a netizen wrote.

A few people expressed concern for the 21-year-old, questioning why he would waste his life in this manner.

“Why would u just throw away your life like that?” a netizen asked.

“Well thankfully he’ll be back in soon enough acting like that,” an individual wrote.

“Good, he just violated his probation on camera he’s going right back but to adult prison now,” another individual wrote.

Notably, Pop Smoke’s alleged killer demanded that popular media and podcast handle No Jumper pay him for their coverage of his juvie release and approached them directly in Los Angeles by saying:

“You got all these people following me. All these people doing all this extra sh*t.”

King Vermont Raskel reportedly also threatened No Jumper not to continue filming him before he himself appeared on camera and cut off his ankle monitor outside a store on Melrose Avenue in LA.

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Pop Smoke’s other alleged killer Corey Walker is awaiting trial

In February 2020, 20-year-old Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke was shot and killed in his residence in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, during a home invasion and robbery gone wrong. Five people were arrested in the wake of his murder, including King Vermont Raskel (who was 15 years old at the time) and Corey Walker.

The latter appeared before the court on June 21, 2024, as his trial was scheduled to begin later that week. However, his plea negotiations with the prosecution reportedly fell apart, and now his trial has been postponed to August 6.

“Negotiations fell through, but there's still a possibility we'll come to an agreement. A few things need to be ironed out. If they don't get resolved, we'll go to trial,” Corey Walker’s attorney Deion Benjamin told Rolling Stone.

Previously, the 23-year-old Walker, who is the only adult defendant charged in Pop Smoke’s killing, pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, two counts of robbery, and a count of burglary.

Reportedly, he recruited three men, including King Vermont Raskel, to rob Pop Smoke while he sat waiting for them outside the Dior rapper’s home in a getaway car. Meanwhile, the alleged shooter, who was recently released from juvie admitted in May 2023 to shooting the rapper.