Suspect Arrested in Slaying of Rapper BTB Savage

Suspect Arrested in BTB Savage Slaying (Credit: Instagram/Houston PD)

A man suspected in the shooting death of rapper BTB Savage has been taken into custody in Houston, authorities said.

On April 11, Houston police announced Montrel Lenard Burley, 40, turned himself in after he was charged with murder and his picture was splashed across the news.

Burley is accused of gunning down 26-year-old BTB Savage, real name Darrell Gentry, in a drive-by shooting in the Texas city on March 30.

Witnesses said two suspects in a black Subaru SUV opened fire on the rapper’s vehicle then fled at a high rate of speed. “The second suspect is unknown,” police said in a news release.

Burley is being held on $1 million bond, according to Harris County jail records.

Related StoryRapper BTB Savage Received Threats Before He Was Killed, His Mother Says

BTB Savage was fatally shot as he drove down the 2100 block of Mid Lane. He suffered at least one gunshot wound, according to police. Paramedics responded and pronounced him deceased at the scene.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner described the shooting as a “targeted incident” because of the number of bullet casings on the ground.

Investigators used surveillance footage from nearby businesses and homes to identify a suspect.

The shooting happened just hours after BTB Savage posted photos on Instagram and Twitter of the blood-stained scene where he said he and his girlfriend killed a would-be robber in self-defense.

In a March 26 interview with DJ Vlad, the up-and-coming rapper said he met with two men to discuss working on a song together, but he immediately noticed something wasn’t right.

“They was just talking and looking around my crib,” he said. “I figured it was kind of weird.”

One of the men claimed to have forgotten something and went outside. The other man asked about a chain BTB was wearing, the rapper said. A dispute broke out and he said the man told him, “I’m gonna shoot you.”

He added that the would-be robber was begging for help after a scuffle, but he told the man: “I don’t give a (expletive) about you. You’re going to die.”

The rapper’s grieving mother, Bernita Ward, later told Houston TV station ABC13 that she believes her son was shot to death in retaliation for killing the other man and posting the photos on social media.

The investigation into the rapper’s death is ongoing.


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