2 Suspected Gunmen in Young Dolph’s Murder Arrested, Additional Person Charged (UPDATE)

Less than two months after the tragic death of Young Dolph, two suspects who police believe are responsible for fatally shooting the rapper have been arrested.

January 11, 2022

Rapper Young Dolph performs on stage during the Parking Lot Concert series. — COLLEGE PARK, GEORGIA - AUGUST 23: Rapper Young Dolph performs on stage during the Parking Lot Concert series at Gateway Center Arena on August 23, 2020 in College Park, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
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UPDATED 1/12, 4:14 p.m. ET: A third person has been added to the list of suspects facing charges in the murder of Young Dolph. U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller revealed at a press conference, per Rolling Stone reports, that 27-year-old Shundale Barnett is now charged with “being an after-the-fact accessory to first-degree murder.”

“Shundale Barnett is a person who, we believe, was providing assistance to Justin [Johnson] since we’ve been looking for him,” Miller said. Barnett was allegedly a passenger in the Mercedes-Benz that was used in the shooting. Miller said Barnett is currently detained under a state warrant in Indiana but will potentially be extradited to Tennessee.

See original story below.

Less than two months after the tragic death of Young Dolph, two suspects who police believe are responsible for fatally shooting the Memphis rapper have been taken into custody.

TMZ reports Justin Johnson, 23, was captured in Indiana by U.S. Marshals on Tuesday and is currently in police custody. Cornelius Smith, 32, who was arrested on Dec. 9 in Southaven, Mississippi on an auto-theft warrant involving the white Mercedes Benz used as a getaway car in the killing, was transferred to Shelby County from a DeSoto County correctional facility on Tuesday.

Both men are facing charges of first-degree murder and theft of property between $10,000 and $60,000. Smith is also charged with attempted first-degree murder, unlawfully carrying or possessing a weapon, and employment of a firearm with intent to commit a felony.

The arrests arrive nearly a week after police identified Johnson as a suspect wanted in connection to the murder of Dolph, who was shot and killed outside of Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies, a local bakery in Memphis, on Nov. 17.

A warrant was issued Wednesday by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, with U.S. Marshals and Memphis Police offering a combined award of $15,000 for any information leading to the capture of Johnson. The 23-year-old, who raps under the name Straight Drop, had previously announced plans to turn himself in to authorities on Saturday, but failed to follow through.

TMZ added that police say at least one of the suspects stole the getaway car at gunpoint a week prior to the death of Dolph. Law enforcement told the outlet “two men armed with AR-style guns” demanded the white Mercedes-Benz while striking the woman driving it with a gun multiple times.