A 24-year-old Brooklyn rapper was shot and killed in broad daylight Wednesday morning in Coney Island, authorities confirmed, as a community already scarred by violence grapples with the latest homicide. Police identified the victim as True Ron Roach Martin, known on the streets and in the music scene as Brisco Bands. He was pronounced dead on arrival after officers responded to reports of gunfire on West 28th Street around 9 a.m.
The shooting occurred near a residential block, leaving behind bloodstains, clothing, and evidence markers that remained hours later. News12 reporter Julia Burns was first on the scene, capturing the aftermath as detectives canvassed the area for witnesses and surveillance footage. “They caught him slipping,” a source familiar with the investigation told our correspondent, using street slang to describe an ambush. Martin was struck multiple times in the face and chest, according to police radio traffic.
Martin’s death is being viewed by some in the hip-hop community as a potential act of retaliation. The rapper had been posting inflammatory content online, including disrespectful comments toward deceased rivals, according to multiple social media accounts reviewed by this station. “He was dissing the dead on the internet,” a local resident who knew Martin said. “And now he’s joining them.” Law enforcement has not confirmed a motive, but detectives are probing a possible gang nexus.
The killing has drawn renewed attention to the violence plaguing Brooklyn’s entertainment scene. Martin, who went by the stage name Brisco Bands, was considered a rising talent with a “bright future in the white man music industry,” as one commentator phrased it, referencing the often exploitative dynamics of the rap business. Friends described him as ambitious but volatile, caught between the lure of street credibility and commercial success.
Wednesday’s murder unfolded just one day after a separate 𝓿𝒾𝓇𝒶𝓁 incident involving rapper Ice Spice and a man dressed as Spider-Man, allegedly at a party in the same borough. In a video that circulated widely, a self-described Jim Jones blood affiliate named Albby Al accused Ice Spice of intimate relations with the costumed figure, sparking online outrage. The affiliate’s rants, captured in the same footage that later discussed Martin’s death, 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓭 what he called “homegirl letting the white man clap her cheeks.” The connection between the two stories remains under scrutiny, though some observers suggest the exposure may have further inflamed tensions in an already divided social media landscape.
Police have not named any suspects in Martin’s murder. A manhunt is underway for at least one individual seen fleeing the scene on foot. Investigators are urging anyone with information to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline. The shooting occurred in a neighborhood where residents say they have grown numb to such tragedies. “Ain’t you surprised? Ain’t you shocked?” the news reporter asked a female bystander. She replied, “No, this is Coney Island. Stuff like this happens on a regular.”
Martin’s family has not yet released a statement, but loved ones gathered at the scene Wednesday afternoon, some weeping, others frantically calling his phone. A makeshift memorial of candles and teddy bears began to form near the spot where he fell. “Rest up, young Jit,” a friend posted on Instagram alongside a photo of Martin flashing a diamond grill. “Boom in peace. Boom in paradise.” The post was accompanied by a string of blood droplet and praying hands emojis.
The shooting marks the third homicide in Coney Island this year, according to NYPD statistics, a troubling uptick after a period of relative calm. Mayor Eric Adams, who has made public safety a cornerstone of his administration, is expected to address the violence later today. Meanwhile, the rap community is mourning but also bracing for possible retaliation. “The dark the berry, the sweeter the juice,” the same blood affiliate ranted in the video, before shifting to a warning: “Once you go white, everything is all right. But if you cross the line, you pay the price.”
As the sun set over the Brooklyn skyline, police tape still fluttered in the wind on West 28th Street. Detectives continued to knock on doors, searching for the gunman. For those who knew Brisco Bands, the loss is personal—and the message is clear: the streets don’t forget. And as one commentator put it, “Homeboy got a chance to go join the fallen soldiers upstairs. They turned off his lights like Con Edison and canceled his credit card like Wells Fargo.”
This is a developing story. Our crew remains on the ground, and we will update with further details as they become available.
