A 17-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of Brooklyn drill rapper Boe Quahh.
The late artist, whose real name was Quah’mir Cruz, was killed on May 10 near Blake Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard in Brownsville. Prosecutors allege the teenage defendant shot the 18-year-old rapper before fleeing the scene.
Because the suspect is a minor, his identity has not been publicly released. He was arraigned on charges including second-degree murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment. A Brooklyn judge ordered him held without bail as the case moves forward.
According to prosecutors, the murder charge was added to a larger gang indictment involving alleged members of the Folk Nation street gang. Authorities claim the broader case includes dozens of shootings across Brooklyn tied to ongoing gang rivalries.
Officials have alleged that the violence included a December 2025 shooting outside a Sweet 16 celebration that left six teenagers injured. Investigators also claim Cruz’s killing followed rising tensions involving rival groups and people connected to Brooklyn’s drill music scene.
Cruz had been building a name as Boe Quahh and had collaborated with fellow Brooklyn drill rapper Envy Spark. Prosecutors allege the teen defendant confronted Spark at Brooklyn Supreme Court weeks before Cruz was killed, a moment they say later surfaced in a social media post.
Still, Cruz’s family and community members have pushed back against any attempt to define him only by drill music.
His stepfather, Shaun Davis, said people had the wrong idea about who Cruz was.
“They got this concept of him being a drill rapper and being a negative person, but it’s not that,” Davis said. “Drill rapping is a way of rapping. It’s not a lifestyle. It’s not him.”
Outside of music, Cruz worked in construction and was involved with an anti-violence program at the Van Dyke Community Center. Community leaders said he was trying to build a future away from the same violence that affected his neighborhood.
Valerie Barton-Richardson, president and CEO of CAMBA, said Cruz had spoken about not wanting to get “lost on the streets.” She described his death as a devastating loss for his family, his community and everyone who believed in his future.
The homicide case remains pending in Brooklyn Supreme Court. Prosecutors are expected to continue pursuing the murder charge as part of the wider gang conspiracy case, while the defense has not publicly issued a detailed response to the amended indictment.