HOUSTON (AP) 鈥� An attorney for a man accused of fatally shooting rapper Takeoff last month said Monday that outside a Houston bowling alley was a tragedy but that her client says he's innocent of the crime.
Patrick Xavier Clark, 33, made a brief court appearance in which prosecutors and his defense attorneys agreed to hold a bond reduction hearing on Dec. 14. Clark was and is jailed on a $2 million bond.
Clark, handcuffed and dressed in orange jail clothing, did not say anything during Monday's hearing. Letitia Quinones, one of Clark鈥檚 attorneys, told reporters after the hearing that Clark is feeling 鈥渘ervous and he鈥檚 concerned鈥� because 鈥渉e鈥檚 being charged with something that he believes he鈥檚 innocent of, so how would anyone do in that type of circumstance?鈥�
Prosecutors declined to comment Monday.
in the head and back as more than 30 people were leaving a private party at the bowling alley. Houston police said at a news conference Friday that the gunfire followed a disagreement over a 鈥渓ucrative鈥� game of dice around 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 1, but that Takeoff was not involved and was 鈥渁n innocent bystander.鈥�
Police have said another man and a woman suffered non-life-threatening gunshot injuries, and that at least two people opened fired. Police said investigators are still trying to track down witnesses.
Born , Takeoff was the youngest member of Migos, the Grammy-nominated rap trio from suburban Atlanta that also featured his uncle Quavo and cousin Offset.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said last week that investigators didn't know whether Clark was invited to the party or if he knew Takeoff. Clark works as a DJ, according to court records.
Asked Monday if Clark knew Takeoff, Quinones said, 鈥淲e really don鈥檛 want to go into the facts at this point.鈥�
She said that Takeoff鈥檚 death was a 鈥渢ragedy and it鈥檚 happening well too often in our communities.鈥�
鈥淭here is a lot of investigation that needs to be done. ... So, we just ask that everyone keep an open mind and let the system do its part and let the Constitution do its part and that is, right now he鈥檚 innocent until he鈥檚 proven guilty,鈥� Quinones said.
Court records indicate Clark was arrested as he was preparing to leave the country for Mexico after getting an expedited passport and that he had a 鈥渓arge amount鈥� of cash.
Quinones said that Clark had been planning to go to Mexico on a vacation but had canceled his trip before his arrest.
鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 trying to go anywhere,鈥� Quinones said.
Migos first broke through with the massive hit 鈥淰ersace鈥� in 2013. They had four Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, though Takeoff was not on their multi-week No. 1 hit 鈥淏ad and Boujee,鈥� featuring Lil Uzi Vert. They put out a trilogy of albums called 鈥淐ulture,鈥� 鈥淐ulture II鈥� and 鈥淐ulture III,鈥� with the first two hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
In the weeks before his death, Takeoff and Quavo put out 鈥淥nly Built for Infinity Links.鈥� Takeoff hoped the joint album would build respect for his lyrical abilities, telling the 鈥淒rink Champs鈥� podcast, 鈥淚t鈥檚 time to give me my flowers.鈥�
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Juan A. Lozano, The Associated Press
