On March 5, 2013, a deadly shooting erupted outside a Philadelphia hotel where rapper French Montana and his entourage had gathered after a concert, leaving one man dead and another injured.
According to police reports, a crowd had assembled outside the Holiday Inn Express on Columbus Boulevard. Montana’s tour bus was parked following his Theatre of Living Arts performance. Around 11:30 p.m., gunfire broke out, striking two men. One victim, 26-year-old Jowann King of Flushing, New York, was fatally wounded and later pronounced dead at Hahnemann University Hospital. Another man, 28 years old, was shot in the shoulder but survived.
Authorities stated that French Montana and his entourage were not involved in the shooting, but at least 25 people were taken in for questioning. Police suspected that the attack may have been targeted, and Frank Briggs, then 20 years old, was later arrested and charged in connection to the shooting. Montana later addressed the incident, calling it a tragic act of violence that he had no connection to.
The shooting added to a series of violent incidents linked to high-profile rap tours at the time, sparking further discussions about concert security and the risks artists face while on the road.