“Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star and former The Source co-owner Benzino has shed some light on the shooting that took place during his mother’s funeral procession in March. While speaking to Vlad TV, Benzino revealed that he was considering not attending the funeral and was in the process of having plane tickets booked when the shooting occurred.
“The whole day just was a negative day for me,” he said. “I just wasn’t feeling right. So, I woke up the next day. I was in the hotel and I basically told my girl ‘This ain’t—I don’t wanna be here.’ You know what I’m saying? I said ‘I’ll come back another time and go to the gravesite.’ Because Saturday was when it was gonna be a church service. Then it was gonna be over to the grave. So, I had woke up early and said ‘Listen, you know, I’m gonna book a flight for us to get out of here.’ I was getting ready to leave. And as I called Dave, Dave was booking my flights. I actually called him and told him to book our flights.”
Benzino revealed that he was then contacted by friend and fellow “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star Stevie J, and was on his way to meet Stevie in Plymouth, Massachusetts when he came across his mother’s funeral procession on the highway. It was at this point when the shooting, which was reportedly at the hands of Benzino’s nephew, took place.
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“So, at that point I wasn’t gonna leave…My father was at the church,” Benzino said. “He was going to get up with my father. Like I said I wasn’t going cause I was trying to avoid all the craziness. So, I went out there and I was driving out there…So, when I went out there as I was going I was probably halfway there and I started seeing on the right-hand side the lights flashing. So, I figured it was my mother—I figured it was somebody’s procession. ‘Maybe this is mother’s procession.’ So, when I pulled up on the cars in the back I didn’t really notice who they was…I was riding past and I started noticing…’Yeah, I think this is my family.’ And I just pulled up towards the front and I just heard gunshots.”
After a wounded Benzino was picked up by what he described as a frantic aunt and cousin, he says the two took him to the nearest police station since they were unable to locate a hospital. He added that his nephew had already informed police of the shooting and told authorities he was practicing self-defense. Due to his nephew’s phone call, Benzino and the two relatives he was traveling with were met by police with guns drawn.
“I guess the person that shot me had already called the police and said that he shot me,” he said. “He made a call to the police said he shot me and it was in self-defense. And that he’s a licensed gun owner. This is what I’m reading. I just remember when the police got there. We’re outside the police station. And the police was like ‘Get out the car. Everybody on the ground.’ With their guns. I’m bleeding like crazy…The person that shot me said that I had a gun and that’s the reason he shot me.”
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According to HelloBeautiful.com, Benzino’s nephew Gai Scott, again stated that he shot his uncle in self-defense, during a hearing held at Plymouth District Court in April.
“I shot at him; I was in fear for my wife and a baby. He’s been threatening my life,” Scott said during the hearing.
