Rapper Kenny Clutch killed in Las Vegas Shooting

A tragic shooting at the heart of the Las Vegas strip has left three people dead, including rapper Kenny Clutch from Oakland, Calif. Police are still searching for the gunman — read on for more details.

Kenny Clutch - also known as Kenneth Cherry - was fired upon by several occupants of a black Range Rover at Las Vegas Boulevard South and Flamingo road after a dispute in the parking lot of the Aria Resort and Casino.

Sources have confirmed that one of the victim's from Thursday morning's deadly shooting and chain reaction crash on the Las Vegas Strip was a rapper from Oakland.

Kenny Clutch - Kenneth Cherry

Someone at the family's home in Oakland said Kenny Clutch was the person who was driving the Masarati.

Clutch's real name was Kenneth Cherry Jr. He was 27 years old. Clutch was driving the car that was targeted by shooter driving a black SUV.

The action movie-style violence erupted about 4:20 a.m. when the black SUV with tinted windows and black wheel rims opened fire on the gray Maserati — driven by rapper Kenny Clutch — as they roared down Las Vegas Blvd., cops said. Clutch, 27, was hit by the barrage of bullets, ran a red light and collided with a taxi, causing a tremendous explosion steps from the Bellagio and Caesars Palace. The Oakland, Calif., native, whose real name was Ken Cherry, was believed to be a "well-known pimp," according to the local CBS affiliate. Two more people died after Clutch's Masarati crashed into a taxi cab, causing it to explode.

Three more cars and a utility truck collided at the intersection of Bellagio, Caesars Palace and Bally's, leaving at least six more people injured as the black Range Rover sped off in the predawn darkness.

A taxi cab burst into flames, killing both people inside. It's the dramatic end to a violent shooting on the Las Vegas Strip. Las Vegas police said the occupants of a black Range Rover opened fire on two people in a Maserati, killing the driver and causing the car to speed through a red light at Flamingo and collided with the cab. A passenger in the Maserati suffered an arm wound and is assisting police from his hopital bed. "What happened on the Strip today will not be tolerated. These individuals will be found .. they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," said Las Vegas Sheriff Doug Gillespie. "We believe the occupants of the Range Rover are armed and dangerous," he added, reporting that there were "multiple rounds fired while the cars were moving" along the Strip. Initially officials had said the incident was a "rolling gun-battle," with shots exchanged between the two cars, but they later clarified that no bullets were fired from the Maserati. The deadly shooting was the fifth on the Strip since December. But Gillespie said locals and tourists should not worry. "Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Strip is a safe place to live, work and visit," he said, citing the 40 million tourists a year who come to the Nevada gambling and partying haven. The Las Vegas Journal reports:

A Maserati driven by Las Vegas rapper Kenneth Cherry, known as Kenny Clutch, was the target of a drive-by shooting on the Strip Thursday morning that left Cherry and two innocent bystanders dead. Las Vegas police said several occupants of a black Range Rover fired into the Maserati at about 4:30 a.m. at Las Vegas Boulevard South and Flamingo Road following a dispute in the valet parking area of the Aria. The Maserati ran a red light at Flamingo and crashed into a taxi, which exploded. The cab's driver and a passenger were killed, their bodies burned beyond recognition. Sgt. John Sheahan said the driver of the Maserati was fatally shot. A passenger in Clutch's car suffered an arm injury and was taken to University Medical Center. He was cooperating with police. The suspects had evaded capture as of late Thursday afternoon. Cherry's music videos on YouTube show the rapper driving around the Strip in his Maserati. A friend said Cherry was a father of two children and wasn't a gang member. He only had speeding tickets on his record, said the friend, who asked not to be named.

 
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