LOS ANGELES—Rapper Coolio, 53, was arrested on Saturday, September 17 at the Los Angeles International Airport after allegedly trying to bring a stolen loaded gun through the security screening area, according to reports.
Around 10:50 a.m. a 39-year-old male was stopped at the x-ray screening area after TSA screeners detected a firearm in a bag. The male said the bag belonged to his traveling companion who had already been through the security screening area and had boarded the plane. The airport police removed the traveling companion from the plane, and the male claimed ownership of the bag.
Canyon News spoke with the LAX Police Department who confirmed the reports. The LAXPD told Canyon News that in instances where a weapon is found at the screening area, officers respond to the scene and take control of the items. The officers then locate the owner of the bag, go over video tapes, and speak to witnesses to confirm that the person claiming the bag is the actual owner of the bag.
In this case, the person who had claimed the bag was not the person who placed the bag on the belt, LAXPD told Canyon News. During the investigation, the suspect who claimed the bag confessed ownership to the contents of the bag, including the weapon.
The LAPD booking records identified that Coolio, born Artis Leon Ivey Jr., had been booked with a bail set at $37,308. Coolio, a Las Vegas resident, was booked for possession of a firearm by a felon. He was released on bail Saturday afternoon. After his release he posted on YouTube about his experience.
“For now I’m fine,” Coolio stated in his post. “I appreciate everybody’s concerns and all your posts and everything. Everybody saying positive things. For those that are not, hey much love to you, too”
Coolio during his music career sold over 17 million records worldwide and is best known for his single “Gangsta’s Paradise,” according to the website Coolio World. In 1996, he won a Grammy for the Best Rap Performance-Solo and has since appeared in movies and television shows.
He had a web series called “Cooking with Coolio,” has written one cookbook, and has had television appearances on shows like “Celebrity Cook Off” and “Celebrity Chopped.” He is currently performing and touring worldwide, and is working on a new cookbook with his best friend and bandmate, hip hop jazz saxophonist Jarez.
