Aspiring rapper, friend critically wounded in North Hollywood follow-home robbery

LOS ANGELES - Two men in their 20s, including aspiring rapper Wakko The Kidd, are in critical condition following a shooting that occurred during an overnight follow-home robbery in North Hollywood, officials said.

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The Los Angeles Police Department said the two victims were at a recording studio in Hollywood on Barham Boulevard late Thursday night and were apparently followed. When they returned home in North Hollywood to the 11100 block of Califa Street, near the intersection of Vineland Avenue and Oxnard Street, they were surrounded by a group of suspects wearing ski masks and were held up at gunpoint.

LAPD investigators said the two victims were shot multiple times before the suspects drove away from the scene in a white SUV. When first responders arrived, the victims were taken to the hospital and were rushed into surgery.

By Friday afternoon, the two men were out of surgery and remained in critical condition. 

Amid a crime wave, the LAPD has a Special Task Force for follow-home robberies.

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"People are targeted because they’re driving a nice car or they have a nice watch on or a nice shopping bag or purse and things like that. It’s unfortunate that’s where we’re at right now, but people are still being targeted for the items that they're wearing or the jewelry that they wear," LAPD Homicide Detective Freddy Arroyo said.

The name of the second victim has not been released.

No further information was immediately available.