Rapper Suave Drilly Shot & Killed in New York City

Bronx rapper Suave Drilly was shot and killed in New York City on Wednesday evening (Oct. 15). The NYPD confirmed to Billboard that the 27-year-old, born John Martinez, was transported to a local hospital following the shooting, where he was pronounced dead.

According to ABC7, Drilly was shot multiple times in the torso after leaving a parole office in Mott Haven just shy of 6 p.m. ET. Witness Clarisa Alayeto saw the situation play out and called the police after seeing a group of men, fitted in ski masks, rush the parole office and open fire on Martinez.

“We’ve been talking with the state about getting this parole office relocated,” Alayeto told reporters. “People retaliate; this is what it seems like. People know that a releasee is trying to see their PO, and that’s the time they try to maximize and attack, and then the people around are the people who are caught, unfortunately, in the mix.”

Three assailants were reportedly seen fleeing after the shooting. A crowd gathered at the scene, and emergency workers attempted to revive Martinez before transporting him to Lincoln Hospital. “People were getting close, and they were like back up back up with their guns out,” Alayeto added.

Per the New York Daily News, Martinez — who teamed up with Blizzy Drilly for “Danger” in June — was previously indicted in 2022, among a group of 20 individuals in the Bronx, for a series of alleged shootings in the NYC borough. He was convicted of a first-degree attempted gang assault charge in 2023, but received parole in January 2024.

Police say the investigation remains ongoing and no arrests have been made.