A Bronx drill rapper who bragged about his “perfect aim” in a music video is now facing attempted murder charges for shooting New York Jets cornerback Chris Boyd in a Manhattan hot spot.
Frederick Green, who plays Tbo Zay, appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court Wednesday wearing an orange jumpsuit as prosecutors formally filed multiple felony charges against him.
The 20-year-old rapper could spend decades behind bars if he is convicted in the Nov. 16 shooting that nearly killed the NFL star.
Tbo Zay faces one count of second-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the charges at a news conference, calling the incident a “near-fatal shooting.”
The shooting happened around 2 a.m. outside the Sei Less restaurant on West 38th Street. Boyd and teammates Jamien Sherwood and Irvin Charles had just left the upscale hotel when Tbo Zay’s team started laughing at their expensive outfits.
“There was a group of people outside who started chirping at what they were wearing and asking them, ‘Do you think you’re better than us?'” NYPD Detective Joseph Kenney explained at a news conference.
Boyd didn’t like the atmosphere in the restaurant and only stayed for about 10 minutes. As the Jets players walked back to the sideline, the same group again verbally abused them, which quickly escalated into violence.
Tbo Zay allegedly fired two shots during the confrontation. A bullet struck Boyd in the abdomen, traveled through his body, lodged in his pulmonary artery, and then entered his lungs. The 29-year-old cornerback was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition.
The rapper’s own lyrics could now be used as evidence against him in court. Three months before the shooting, Tbo Zay released a music video for his song “Mission,” in which he raps: “I get wavy… I walk into Beemer, I get a good shot.”
Prosecutors noted that Tbo Zay fled the scene in a white BMW that matched the vehicle mentioned in his lyrics.
Assistant District Attorney Sarah Sanadi revealed that surveillance video captured Tebbozai without any mask or disguise “before, during and after the shooting.” The entire incident was recorded on multiple cameras outside the restaurant.
After the shooting, Tbo Zay jumped into a white BMW and fled the scene. He then began a desperate three-week escape from authorities and headed to Buffalo, where he holed up in his girlfriend’s apartment.
Two months after the shooting, Boyd remains in the hospital and continues to experience complications from his injuries. A bullet fragment entered Boyd’s vein, lodged in his pulmonary artery and then entered one of his lungs, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Tbo Zay is being held without bail following his trial. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 15, when he will enter a formal plea to the charges.
District Attorney Bragg stressed that gun violence has no place in Manhattan and expressed support for Boyd as he continues to recover from the shooting.
