Community Corner
MA Rapper Offers To Pay For Slain Teen's Funeral
Rapper Joyner Lucas the shooting death of aspiring rapper Tafar Lewis, 18, was "senseless."
WORCESTER, MA — News of the death of an 18-year-old aspiring rapper hit home for another rapper, Joyner Lucas, who decided to take action. Lucas offered to pay the funeral costs for the family of Tafar Lewis, of Worcester. He was shot and killed July 3 following the city's fireworks show.
Lucas called the shooting "senseless" in a Facebook post announcing his contribution. Friends of the teen commented on Lucas' post, samples of Lewis' music and said they were inspired by Lucas. Lewis went by the stage name "June Valentino."
On the same night Lewis was shot, police got another call for shots fired, this time near Shrewsbury and Lyon Street. When they got to the scene, they found a 19-year-old who had been shot after getting into an argument with a man on Shrewsbury Street. Police said he was taken to the hospital and expected to survive.