The LAPD released Yo Gotti’s friend Corey McClendon early Friday without any charges in Young Dolph shooting, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Corey McClendon, 43, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of attempted murder, and held on $1 million bail, according to USA Today.
Prosecutors have asked police to further investigate McClendon’s role in the shooting that left Young Dolph in critical condition.
“Under California law, if you are arrested and booked and no charges are filed within 48 hours, you have to be released,” Greg Risling, a spokesman for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office told USA Today.
Risling said police must “come back to us with a case and then (the district attorney) will decide whether to file charges.”
Police are unsure whether McClendon fired the gun or was simply involved in the fight before the shooting outside Loews Hotel in Hollywood.
“They had an argument, which escalated to a physical fight,” LAPD Detective Aguilar told KTLA 5. “At one point, Young Dolph was knocked the ground. And then one of the suspects pulled out a handgun and began shooting at him.”
Luckily, Dolph managed to get up and run into a nearby store. The three men who assaulted Dolph ran away in different directions. Police described the suspects as two black men and a Hispanic man.
Aguilar described the shooter as a black man last seen in a gold Cadillac Escalade. The vehicle was later found abandoned a block away from the hotel. She said the shooter was about 6 feet tall with a stocky build, and wearing a light-colored shirt and torn jeans.
McClendon is a Memphis native and known associate of Yo Gotti. He has an extensive criminal arrest record in Tennessee. He served jail time after being convicted of possession of c—— in 1995, and was granted probation in 1999.
He also has prior convictions for theft, marijuana possession and driving with a suspended license.
In November 2010, McClendon was charged with nine other men with aggravated riot in an incident that led to the shooting of six people in the parking lot of a Memphis nightclub, the USA Today reports.
The incident occurred after McClendon got in an argument with another Memphis rapper OG Boo Dirty. The charges were later dropped by the Shelby County Attorney’s Office due to lack of witnesses.
Gun violence has plagued Dolph’s life this past year.
Dolph was present during a shooting at his Houston concert this past summer. Dolph was performing at the Ayva Center on Saturday, July 1 when shots rang out following a fight amongst concertgoers.
There was an attempt on Young Dolph’s life during the 2017 CIAA tournament in Charlotte, NC. Luckily, Dolph escaped unharmed after gunmen fired 100 shots at his bulletproof truck on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Blac Youngsta was charged in the shooting after turning himself into authorities in May.
Youngsta proclaimed his innocence during a short interview with Channel 9.
“I’m innocent,” he said. “I ain’t fire nothing. I don’t know nothing. I ain’t see nothing. I ain’t do nothing.”
Youngsta turned himself in after police found a van Youngsta rented riddled with bullet holes. Youngsta told authorities the van was stolen from him.
“It’s obviously someone ratting,” Youngsta said. “Somebody snitching.”
Young Dolph’s bulletproof truck was hit with 100 shots during the CIAA basketball tournament in Charlotte, NC. Dolph walked away from the shooting unharmed, and even performed alongside Young Thug at a nightclub later that night.
Youngsta was arrested on felony weapon charges. He is being charged with four counts of discharging a firearm into occupied property. He was booked into Mecklenburg County Jail and released on bail
Two other men were also arrested in the shooting, TMZ reports.
Dolph was asked about the shooting during an appearance on Los Angeles’ Real 92.3 radio show.
Dolph declined to comment on Blac Youngsta’s arrest for the shooting.
“I ain’t got nothing to do with it, don’t give a damn about it,” he said.
Dolph was also asked his thoughts on the incident during a sit-down interview with Raq Rants.
Dolph said he was nowhere near the crime scene. It was, in fact, his brother Dolph Obama who was shot at.
“That wasn’t my car. That wasn’t me. That was my brother,” he said. “I’m Dolph Gabbana. That’s Dolph Obama. Whatever what was going on, they couldn’t do it.”
Dolph said Dolph Obama got haters because he’s doing well.
“He in this real good high position and this good place where he at in his career,” Dolph said. “He black, he self-made, he became a millionaire, he from the hood, he got something going on. He got a campaign of people in the streets who elected back in the day.”
Dolph said Dolph Obama is ready for war. Dolph reveals his bulletproof truck cost $300,000, and took about four months to build. Dolph says Dolph Obama owns two bulletproof vehicles.
Dolph went on to talk about his issued with Yo Gotti.
“I ain’t got no beef. I ain’t never had no beef,” he said “…I just know it’s a lot of hating going on. I know it’s whole lot of money counting going on. Whole lot of hatred. Whole lot of envy going on. Whole lot of jealousy going on.”