YNW Melly Allegedly Linked to Police Deputy Shooting Death: Report

As he sits behind bars at Broward County Jail for allegedly murdering his own friends, YNW Melly has now reportedly been linked to another killing.

According to sources in a VeroNews report posted Thursday night (Feb. 21), the Gifford, Fla. rapper and his friend YNW Bortlen, born Cortlen Henry, are considered suspects in the 2017 shooting death of Deputy Gary Chambliss of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Department. The shooting took place in Gifford.

Head of the Sheriff’s Office’s criminal investigations division Captain Tony Consalo didn't confirm whether both rappers are suspects. However, following the Miramar, Fla. shooting that got the two arrested in the first place, he and his force believe a questioning could be warranted.

“After that shooting in Miramar, our detectives will be following up for possible information in connection to the Garry Chambliss homicide,” Consalo said. “Perhaps, given their current situation, they might be able to shed some light on the case.”

The unnamed source in the report asserts that YNW Melly and his cohort YNW Bortlen were at the scene of the shooting in 2017. Both rappers were reportedly standing in a group when someone within the group threw a bottle at a passing car, which made the car's driver return fire. One of the rappers allegedly fired back and Chambliss was hit with a stray bullet 170 yards away before dying.

If he was the one responsible, it wouldn't be Melly's first instance of firing a weapon. Back in 2015, Melly, who was born Jamell Demons, was charged with firing a gun in a group of people near Vero Beach High School. At the time, he was only 16. Luckily he didn't hit anyone with his bullets. Fast forward to last week, Melly and YNW Bortlen were charged with two counts of first-degree murder after police accused them of killing their two friends and staging it to appear as a drive-by shooting.

XXL has reached out to Melly's camp and the Indian River County Sheriff's Office for comment.

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