South African Rapper 'AKA' shot dead in nightclub

South African rapper Kiernan Forbes, professionally known by the stage name as AKA, has been shot dead in Durban, South Africa at the age of 35.

Local police confirmed that the well-known rapper 'AKA', was fatally shot outside a popular night spot on Durban’s Florida Road. According to a first witness at the scene, who spoke on condition of anonymity, AKA was shot while standing on the pavement when gunfire rang out shortly after 10:00 p.m.

“I can confirm that two men were killed and one of them is a well-known rapper. Police will not be releasing any names of the victims yet until a full investigation is completed," KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda told the outlet.

ALS Paramedics spokesman Garrith Jamieson said both men sustained gunshot wounds and despite efforts to resuscitate one of them, he succumbed to his injuries.

After rapper's death, his family members announced the news and shared a heartbreaking post for the Victory Lap rapper on Instagram. Penning a note for their’ beloved’ son, they wrote, “One minute you’re here and the next you’re gone. Make the most of your time people, just like AKA did. RIP to the GOAT."

AKA was about to perform in Durban on Friday. He was going to release a new album, ‘Mass Country’, on February 27. The rapper was promoting his forthcoming album with his last Instagram post, showing him working in the studio and posing in a photo shoot.

His tragic passing comes more than a year after he lost his fiancee Nelli Tembe, who fell to her death from her hotel room in Cape Town hotel in April 2021. The rapper had a daughter named Kairo Olwethu Forbes, born in 2015, with his ex DJ Zinhle.