Rapper Jack Harlow's DJ Charged In Fatal Shooting At Kentucky Derby Party

The DJ for platinum-selling rapper Jack Harlow has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting last week of a woman working at a party to celebrate the eve of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville. 

Ronnie Tyshon O'Bannon, 27, was indicted by a grand jury on charges of murder and tampering with physical evidence for the May 1 killing of 37-year-old Kasmira Nash at Vibes Restaurant and Ultra Lounge. O’Bannon turned himself in later in the day after a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to a statement from the Louisville Police Department. A second victim, who has not been publicly identified, was also shot in the incident. He was taken to University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. 

O'Bannon, a music producer who goes by the stage name Ronnie Luciano, appears to have been involved in an argument at the venue that escalated into a physical confrontation, as can be seen in a video of the incident obtained by TMZ. The footage shows Harlow feet away from the scuffle before the shooting took place; O'Bannon is also a member of Harlow’s Private Garden musical collective.

Nash, a mother of two, was working at the venue’s pre-Kentucky Derby party that night. She died at the scene from a gunshot wound, according to police. Her mother, Kathy Davis, told WDBR News that she's seen the footage from that night and is upset that the venue’s security had allowed O’Bannon inside the club. 

"They knew there had been an altercation prior to this with this same DJ, so he was not supposed to be allowed back in the club," Davis told the local station. "I felt like he should have been removed or they should have taken my daughter and told her to go home.

"I do not accuse him or feel like it was entirely on him, because he's an entertainer," Davis said last week of Harlow’s presence at the scene. "He was there to do a job, but I feel like the security and the owner of the club should have been more diligent in protecting and making sure it was secure. They knew there had been an altercation."

In a May 5 Facebook post, Vibes's management said that the killing of Nash inside the venue was a "tragic loss of our very own." 

Attorney Rob Eggert, who is representing O’Bannon, said during a call with Oxygen.com on Wednesday evening that O'Bannon's record is negligible.

"Despite reports on social media, Mr. O'Bannon is a first-rate person... I'm confident he's going to be vindicated in court," Eggert said. 

O’Bannon is expected to be arraigned on Monday afternoon, a spokesman for the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Jefferson County told Oxygen.com by phone.

Harlow, who is from Louisville, saw a meteoric rise in 2020 with the success of his smash hit single, “What’s Poppin,” which was certified five-times platinum. The 23-year-old was set to provide the traditional “riders up” call at the Kentucky Derby on May 1 but was replaced at the last minute by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

The city of Louisville, which is still reeling from the police killing of Breonna Taylor in March 2020, is experiencing record-breaking gun violence in 2021, with at least 60 homicides and 232 non-fatal shootings reported by police.