Atlanta rapper dies after running from officers in SE Atlanta, police say
Rapper Young Scooter dead in Atlanta
A rapper named Kenneth Bailey, also known as Young Scooter, died after an encounter with Atlanta police officers on Saturday night, according to TMZ and other reports.
ATLANTA - A 39-year-old rapper known as Young Scooter died Friday night after fleeing from Atlanta police responding to a 911 call about a dispute involving a weapon on William Nye Drive, authorities said.
Young Scooter's real name is Kenneth Bailey, according to TMZ and other sources.
Officers were dispatched to the 200 block of William Nye Drive in southeast Atlanta after reports of gunfire and a woman being dragged into a residence.
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What they're saying:
"When officers arrived, they knocked on the door and a male opened the door and immediately shut the door on the officers," said Lt. Andrew Smith, commander of Atlanta’s homicide unit.
39-year-old killed in southeast Atlanta
A 39-year-old man died after fleeing from police responding to a weapon-related dispute; he was found injured and later pronounced deceased at Grady Hospital.
Police then set up a perimeter around the home. As officers surrounded the area, two men fled from the back of the residence. One of them returned to the house. The other man jumped two fences before being found injured nearby.
"He appeared to have suffered an injury to his leg," Smith said. "Officers rendered aid and he was transported to Grady Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased."
What we know:
Smith also addressed social media claims that police were involved in a shooting during the incident. "The Atlanta Police Department has not been involved in any shootings tonight and the incident on William Nye—no one was—there was not a shooting at all," he said.
Smith emphasized that the man’s injury did not result from any police action. "Just to be very clear, the injury that was sustained was not via the officers on scene," he said.
What we don't know:
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in to review the incident due to public speculation surrounding the case.
Despite the initial 911 reports, police have not located a female victim and are still working to verify what occurred. "We have not been able to substantiate any of that, which is also a part of our investigation," Smith added.
Personal Life:
Young Scooter (Bailey) reportedly died on his 39th birthday. Scooter got his big break in 2012 when he signed with Future's record label. He worked with Gucci Mane on a mixtape called "Free Bricks 2" in 2013 and released another mixtape that same year featuring Gucci, Future, WG and Lil Boosie.
Additionally, he worked with Future and Juice Wrld on their 2018 song, "Jet Lag," according to TMZ.
Scooter was known for his raw, off-the-cuff style and rapping without writing anything down – a technique he called "count music."
Bailey was born on March 28, 1986, in Walterboro, South Carolina, and moved to Atlanta when he was 9, according to People magazine.
The Source: The details in this article come from a late-night press conference held by Lt. Andrew Smith, commander of Atlanta’s homicide unit, to give updates on two violent incidents in the city on March 28, 2025. Information about Bailey's background came from various sources (linked above).