New details have emerged from the Seminole Police Department’s probable cause affidavit in the shooting of rapper Offset outside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, deepening questions about the role of fellow rapper Lil Tjay in the Monday night incident.
According to the arrest report, Lil Tjay exited a vehicle, pointed at Offset, and directed members of his group to begin fighting with Offset and his associates. Police allege that Lil Tjay had his phone out and was recording members of his group attacking Offset when one of the males associated with him pulled out a firearm and discharged it, wounding one of the individuals.
The affidavit further states that after Offset was shot, Lil Tjay approached the wounded rapper’s associates in an aggressive manner, with fists clenched and throwing punches at them, at a moment when they were attempting to tend to their injured friend. Police say it was only when officers arrived on scene that the confrontation stopped.
Lil Tjay, whose real name is Tione Jayden Merritt, was booked into Broward County Jail on a disorderly conduct by affray charge, with bail set at $500, and faces a separate traffic charge carrying a $2,500 bond for operating a vehicle without a valid licence. He is not charged with any offence directly related to the shooting itself, and the gunman has not yet been publicly identified. Seminole Police believe Lil Tjay knows who fired the weapon.
Lil Tjay and His Attorney Deny the Allegations
After bonding out on Tuesday, Lil Tjay rejected the police version of events, telling reporters outside jail that he did not fight anyone. His attorney, Dawn Florio, reiterated that her client was not charged with any weapons or gun-related offences and did not have a gun. Florio told the Associated Press that the disorderly conduct charge was unrelated to the shooting itself.
Lil Tjay said outside jail that Offset had told him directly after being shot: “That n—- shot me,” adding that Offset was pointing at someone else when he said it.
Offset Recovering, Investigation Ongoing
A representative for Offset confirmed he is stable and being closely monitored at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, with non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident follows a public dispute between the two artists that dated to a Twitch stream in January 2026, during which Lil Tjay accused Offset of borrowing up to $10,000 from him at a casino and never repaying it. Offset responded with a warning, but Lil Tjay continued the public taunting into March 2026.
The Seminole Police Department said a second person who was detained at the scene has not been charged, and the investigation to identify one or more additional suspects remains ongoing.
