American Rapper Silento Sentenced to 30 Years for Cousin’s Murder
American singer Silento has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and aggravated assault in connection with the 2021 murder of his cousin, Frederick Rooks III.
The 27-year-old artist, known for the hit song “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” was linked to the crime after security footage captured a white BMW SUV—last seen with both men inside—fleeing the scene where Rooks was found with multiple gunshot wounds.
Reacting to Silento’s arrest, Chanel Hudson, his PR manager, in a statement claimed that the rapper “has been suffering from series of mental health illnesses for the past several years”.
Before the shooting, the rapper was charged with two counts of assault in August 2020, after he allegedly attacked two people with a hatchet in their home.
Speaking in 2019 during an interview on the medical talk show ‘The Doctors’, Silento said “I have been fighting demons my whole life. I don’t know if these demons will ever go away.” Silento had previously faced legal troubles, including assault charges in 2020, and was reported to have struggled with mental health issues for years.
