A$AP Rocky Pleads Not Guilty to Assault Charges Connected to Alleged 2021 Shooting

A$AP Rocky pled not guilty to felony assault charges in a Los Angeles courtroom on Aug. 17, Rolling Stone reported. Two days prior, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that the rapper had been charged with two counts of using a semiautomatic firearm in connection to a November 2021 shooting. A rep for Rocky did not immediately respond to POPSUGAR's request for comment about the charges.

In a statement, Gascón said, "Discharging a gun in a public place is a serious offense that could have ended with tragic consequences not only for the person targeted but also for innocent bystanders visiting Hollywood. My office conducted a thorough review of the evidence in this case and determined that the addition of a special firearm allegation was warranted," according to the Los Angeles Times.

On April 20, NBC News reported that the rapper was detained at LAX by the Los Angeles Police Department with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations team for his alleged involvement in a shooting. Rocky's lawyer, Alan Jackson, confirmed the news to the outlet. The rapper arrived in Los Angeles via a private plane after spending time with girlfriend Rihanna in Barbados, who recently gave birth to their first child. He was released later that day after posting the $550,000 bail, People reported.

According to a press release shared by the Los Angeles Police Department on Twitter in April, Rocky was under investigation by the LAPD for a shooting that took place near Selma and Argyle Ave. on Nov. 6, 2021.