Silentó, who shot to fame with the mega-viral hit “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” has been handed a 30-year prison sentence after entering a guilty plea in connection with the 2021 fatal shooting of his cousin.
The 27-year-old performer, whose real name is Ricky Lamar Hawk, submitted his plea on Wednesday, accepting charges of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and concealing the death of another, according to DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.
“This was not a crime of passion or a crime of a morally depraved person. He was mentally ill,” Hawk’s attorney, Keith Adams, told ABC News. “Unfortunately, Ricky’s mental illness has been an issue since the age of 12, even during his success as an artist and beyond.”
The charges stem from a tragic incident on January 21, 2021, when Frederick Rooks III, 34, was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds at the intersection of Deep Shoals Circle and Corners Crossing in Panthersville, an unincorporated area of Decatur, Georgia.
Multiple residents in the area reported hearing gunshots, and surveillance footage captured a white BMW SUV quickly leaving the scene.
Law enforcement officials revealed that a family member informed them that Hawk had picked up Rooks in the same BMW SUV from a friend’s residence shortly before the incident occurred. Investigators later matched bullet casings found at the crime scene to a firearm in Hawk’s possession, while GPS data confirmed his vehicle’s presence at the shooting location, according to the DeKalb County Police Department.
“The benefit of him pleading to voluntary manslaughter is that it makes him eligible for parole sometime within the next decade or so,” Adams explained. “If he had been convicted of murder, he would not have been eligible for parole for at least 30 years.”
Given the nature of his plea, Hawk will likely be placed in a facility equipped to address his mental health needs.
“His plea of guilty but mentally ill acknowledges his mental illness, and it instructs the Department of Corrections to place him not in a regular prison, but in a facility that will treat his mental illness,” Adams said.
Hawk will be transferred to the Georgia Diagnostic Center in Jackson, Georgia, approximately an hour from Atlanta, where all state prisoners undergo initial processing. Adams noted that officials there will determine his permanent placement among the state’s specialized mental health facilities.
“I’m hoping that he won’t be at the Diagnostic Center for too long, because they’re already familiar with his mental health issues,” Adams said. “I expect within the next month to two months, he’ll be placed where he’s supposed to be.”
Adams expressed optimism about his client’s future.
“Everyone deserves a chance at redemption. With proper mental health treatment and support, he has the opportunity to rehabilitate and return as a productive member of society.”
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