The Tragic Death Of Rapper Baby Cino

Upcoming rapper Baby Cino has died at 20 years old. The musician, born Timothy Starks, was fatally shot in the head moments after he exited the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Centre in Miami-Dade, Fla. on March 16. According to The Miami Herald, Starks was picked up by his friend Dante Collins Banks after posting bail following charges of illegal possession of a concealed weapon. Banks' car was later shot over 40 times as he drove on the Palmetto Expressway in Hialeah. The Nissan Altima came under fire in the early afternoon from a passenger in an unidentified "dark-colored vehicle," leaving the windshield and body of the car riddled with bullet holes.

Banks' mother told 7 News Miami that she was talking to her son on his cellphone when the attack occurred. She heard the shooting play out and Banks continued speaking to her following the gunfire. "He was talking," she said. "He was just shook up 'cause his friend got shot." Banks was severely wounded from a shot to the stomach but survived after being airlifted to a local trauma facility, and has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at home. Authorities announced that the young rapper was discovered dead at the scene. Tragically, Baby Cino's artistry suggests he knew about gun violence firsthand.

Timothy Starks, A.K.A. the Miami rapper Baby Cino, bonded out of jail at 2.10 p.m. on March 16 and was shot and killed just over a half-hour later, according to WPLG. "Detectives are looking at every motive or every bit of information based on the evidence they have here at the scene," a Miami-Dade Police detective Angel Rodriguez told the outlet. According to The Miami Herald, a source alleges Baby Cino was affiliated with a gang in the Little Haiti area called "Boss Life." The Herald reports authorities are investigating if his murder could be linked to a number of recent attacks between rival street gangs in Miami, including the murder of rapper Wavy Navy Pooh in January. CBS 4 Miami reported in February that "more than a dozen" fatal shootings had occurred on South Florida highways within eight months.

Baby Cino was best known for his track "Big Haiti Shottas," on which he raps, per The Guardian, "Spot 'em, I got 'em. If it's an issue or a problem, we'll pull up with them choppers. We'll leave him dead on the scene. Hell na he ain't making it to the doctor." According to the outlet, Starks dedicated the song's video to 18-year-old Gary "Melo" Laguerre, a fellow victim of a drive-by shooting in 2020. Baby Cino leaves behind glimpses of his life on Instagram, he where described himself as an upcoming artist and "The Neighborhood Hope Dealer."