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Rapper A$AP Rocky has been charged with assault with a firearm in connection with a shooting in Hollywood last year.<\/p>\n
The star, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is alleged to have pointed the gun at a former friend during an argument in November.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors say he later fired the weapon twice in the direction of the victim, who sustained a minor injury.<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old, who has had two US number one albums, could face up to nine years in prison if found guilty.<\/p>\n
The rapper, who had a baby with singer Rihanna in May, is due to appear in court on Wednesday to answer two charges of assault with a semi-automatic firearm with allegations of personally using a firearm.<\/p>\n
His lawyer had no immediate comment on the charges.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gasc\u00f3n said: \u201cDischarging a gun in a public place is a serious offence that could have ended with tragic consequences, not only for the person targeted but also for innocent bystanders visiting Hollywood.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy office conducted a thorough review of the evidence in this case and determined that the addition of a special firearm allegation was warranted.\u201d<\/p>\n News of the shooting broke in April when the star was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport as he returned from a holiday with Rihanna. He was released three hours later after posting bail of $550,000 (\u00a3421,000).<\/p>\n Police found multiple firearms at Mr Mayers\u2019 home while serving a search warrant following his arrest.<\/p>\n Terell Ephron, who is part of the A$AP Mob hip-hop collective, identified himself as the victim and sued his former friend last week, alleging assault and battery, negligence and emotional distress.<\/p>\n Mr Ephron, also known as A$AP Relli, alleged that Mr Mayers had \u201clured\u201d him to an obscure location in Hollywood to discuss a disagreement.<\/p>\n The lawsuit claims that, after a verbal altercation, Mr Mayers \u201cpulled out a handgun and purposefully pointed it in the direction of [Mr Ephron] and fired multiple shots\u201d.<\/p>\n Mr Ephron was \u201cstruck by bullet projectile\/fragments\u201d in his left hand and required medical attention, according to the court papers. He is seeking at least $25,000 (\u00a320,750) in damages.<\/p>\n Mr Mayers was previously given a two-year suspended sentence for his role in a brawl in Stockholm in August 2019.<\/p>\n As A$AP Rocky, he was one of the biggest breakout stars of the 2010s, earning eight platinum singles in the US including Wild For The Night, Everyday, LSD and A$AP Forever.<\/p>\n He rose to fame after being championed by Drake, and has worked with artists including Alicia Keys, Lana Del Rey, Skepta, Selena Gomez and Kendrick Lamar.<\/p>\n Last year, he confirmed he was in a relationship with Rihanna, calling her the \u201clove of my life\u201d and \u201cthe one\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div>\n![\"A$AP](\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/image-120.png\" "\\"A$AP")