A man has been convicted of felony murder in the high-profile 2022 shooting of rapper PnB Rock at a Los Angeles restaurant. Following four hours of deliberation, a Los Angeles County jury found Freddie Lee Trone, 42, guilty on multiple charges, including one count of felony murder, two counts of robbery, and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery. Authorities revealed that Trone had sent his 17-year-old son to confront the rapper.
During the trial, both sides acknowledged that Trone’s son entered Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles in South Los Angeles, shot PnB Rock, and stole his jewelry while the artist was dining with the mother of his child. The prosecution argued that the teenager acted on his father’s orders, whereas the defense claimed Trone was merely an accessory after the fact. The now-19-year-old son, who was charged with murder, remains in custody in the juvenile system, as a judge deemed him not currently competent to stand trial.
Trone’s attorney stated there was no evidence to support claims of conspiracy to commit murder. “There is no evidence he gave his son a gun, and no evidence he told him to shoot the guy. The only evidence the jury found is that he dropped him off and picked him up,” said the defense.
PnB Rock’s mother expressed her profound relief and joy upon hearing the verdict, stating, “I just said, ‘Hallelujah, thank God. Justice has been served.’”
A co-defendant, Tremont Jones, was also convicted on charges related to robbery. Both Trone and Jones are set to be sentenced on August 27.
PnB Rock, born Rakim Hasheem Allen, was fatally shot on September 12, 2022, during the robbery. In a tribute to the late rapper, Philadelphia’s city council passed a resolution honoring his legacy just ten days later.
