Photo Courtesy of Polk County Sheriff's Office
Polk County officers arrested a teenager for murdering a rival gang member and bragging about it in a song, according to a Polk County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Detectives charged La’Darion Chandler, 19, with first-degree murder for fatally shooting 33-year-old John “Bang Bang” McGee in the back. Chandler’s arrested happened on Feb. 22, and he was charged a few days later.
According to the news release, the shooting happened on Dec. 17, 2022, on Pirates Way. An argument ensued between the perpetrator and the victim and turned gruesome when Chandler pulled out a gun. McGee turned to run and was shot in the back.
McGee was rushed to the hospital in critical but stable condition. He would’ve survived if he had listened to the doctor’s orders and taken the required medicine. However, Sheriff Grady Judd said McGee was fixated on getting better enough to get revenge and, eventually, succumbed to his injury on Jan. 9, 2023.
McGee served time in prison for about four to five years before getting released on Oct. 8.
“He’s a troublemaker, make no mistake about it, but he shouldn’t have died,” Judd said at a press conference.
Polk County detectives discovered a video of Chandler’s rap song, confessing to killing McGee.
“N***a tried to run, I hit his back though I shoot like a mac. Dirt a** dead n***as knowing where to find me at,” Chandler’s lyrics read.
“He’s not much of a rapper,” Judd said. “My rapper expert says he doesn’t sing well. He doesn’t move well. He’s just a terrible rapper. But he’s a stupid rapper. He not only makes a rap video about shooting somebody, but he also admits to shooting the guy in the back. I’m a coward rapper, that’s what I am. Watch me shoot the guy in the back.”
In addition to his murder conviction, the Lakeland, FL, teen had other felonies on his record as a juvenile — feeling to elude, grand theft of a motor vehicle, vehicle burglary and convicted delinquent possessing a firearm or ammunition (which was elevated from a second-degree felony to first degree due to him being affiliated with a gang).
Chandler’s first time getting arrested was when he was 11 years old. He had seven former felony arrests and five misdemeanor arrests at 11, being incarcerated thrice.
Judd has $5,000 for whoever can hand over the gun used for the killing. Those with information on the gun’s whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers can help with the gun getting to investigators anonymously.
“Let the message be loud and clear, and all you gang bangers and gangsters and cool dudes and dudettes, understand we ripped this rapper, and he’s in jail. We unwrapped him from coolness and wrapped him up in a jail cell,” Judd said.