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Rapper Young Pappy Killed, Had Been Target of Other Fatal Shootings

By  Benjamin Woodard and Mark Schipper | May 29, 2015 8:34am 

 Shaquon Thomas, 19, raps under the name Young Pappy.
Shaquon Thomas, 19, raps under the name Young Pappy.
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UPTOWN — The North Side rapper who was the target of at least two fatal shootings in Rogers Park in recent years was gunned down Friday morning in Uptown, authorities said.

Two bullets to the back killed 20-year-old Shaquon Thomas, aka Young Pappy, while he was standing in the 4800 block of North Kenmore Avenue at about 1:30 a.m. Friday.

Witnesses told police a shiny, black four-door car was driving west on Lawrence Avenue with its rear driver's side door open. After passing Kenmore Avenue, the driver hit the brakes, reversed east down Lawrence and turned onto Kenmore before stopping.

That's when a thin man in a gray hoody was seen sprinting to the car and getting in, police said.

Thomas was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 2:04 a.m., police said.

No one else was injured in the shooting that appeared to be gang-related, police said.

The high-profile rapper had been shot at before, according to police officials.

Ben Woodard discusses the rapper's past troubles on the North Side:

Police have said the rapper was the target of two shootings since 2014 that left innocent bystanders William Lewis, 28, and friend Markeyo Carr, 17, dead.

Lewis had been waiting for a bus last July on Devon Avenue when a gunman opened fire at Thomas, who was unscathed.

A few months before that, Carr was killed by a masked gunman outside a Rogers Park McDonald's. Thomas was struck by a bullet in the arm.

His father at the time said he "got the least of it" in that shooting.

Thomas survived the shooting attempt last year that left Carr dead outside the McDonald's, and later was unscathed when a bullet intended for him instead killed Lewis, who was waiting for a bus, police have said.

Thomas had recently ran into trouble when he threw a wild mixtape release party that was broken up by a SWAT team on a quiet residential street. He and 30 other people were charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

Police said someone at the party fired shots from the rear of the two-flat while officers were conducting a traffic stop outside.

Less than a week later he was hauled into jail on an outstanding warrant for an unrelated reckless conduct charge.

Ald. Harry Osterman (48th) said in an email to constituents Friday afternoon that police are working to increase patrols "to curb the possibility of retaliatory actions."

Thomas appeared to have made references to his run-ins with gunfire.

Shortly after the rapper was shot at in the slaying of Carr, he posted on Twitter, "Im Still Here."

Fans of the rapper took to social media Friday morning to lament his death.

Contributing: Mauricio Pena, Erica Demarest

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