The 23-year-old man suspected of murdering Young Dolph is planning on turning himself in to authorities after the weekend.
On Saturday (Jan. 8), the suspect Justin Johnson — who goes by the rap name Straight Drop — shared a statement via his Instagram Story that reads, “Turning Myself In Monday @201 I’m Innocent I’ll Be Back Sooner Than You Can Blink.”
Earlier this week, REVOLT reported that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Memphis Police Department put out a wanted fugitive alert for Johnson. The agency sent out a tweet asking for help from the public to find Straight Drop for his involvement in the fatal shooting of Dolph last November.
The alert states that Johnson is wanted for first-degree murder, criminal attempt first-degree murder and theft of property valuing $10,000-$60,000. “He should be considered armed & dangerous,” the tweet reads.
ABC News Memphis reported that Shelby County court records show Johnson pleaded guilty to shooting three people at the Billy Hardwick Bowling Alley in 2017.
The Shelby County Judge who presided over Johnson’s case spoke to the outlet about his previous offense.
“He had no record. He got in a fight with some people at a bowling alley, and they were all mad at each other. He went out to his car and got a gun and came back in and started shooting. He fired a bunch of shots and a man was hit in the arm and a lady was hit in the leg and another person was grazed,” said Judge Christopher Craft.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Johnson was released from prison on probation in May 2021, ABC reported.
“A lot of times the toughest thing I have to decide is should I give this man another chance or should he go off to prison,” said Craft. “The first time he used a gun, we gave him some slack because of him immediately cooperating and doing everything, and taking programs he didn’t have to take and working on things.”
“When we make decisions about whether or not to give another chance, there are going to be a few people we give another chance and they fail. But there are going to be thousands of people we give another chance to and it changes their life, and they never come back,” Craft continued.
Images currently circulating the Internet appear to show Dolph standing near his alleged killer in a nightclub; leading some to believe he may have known Johnson.
A few photos appear to depict Johnson donning a pendant with the letters PRE — the acronym for the “Get Paid” rapper’s Paper Route Empire record label. Those photos were reportedly taken on the set of his video “Stepping On,” which was released days after Dolph passed away.
Dolph was shot and killed on Nov. 17, 2021 while purchasing cookies inside Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies in his hometown of Memphis. Two gunmen were captured on surveillance video during the shooting wearing grey sweatpants, dark hoodies and white face masks. The white Mercedes that the suspects used to flee the scene was located a few days later at an abandoned home just miles from where the “RNB” rapper was shot.