Rapper shot up to 64 times as he walked out of Chicago jail

Londre Sylvester was a local rapper who went by the stage name KTS Dre

Londre Sylvester was shot multiple times as he walked towards a vehicle outside the Cook County jail in Chicago (Screengrab/NBC News)

A 31-year-old US man was reportedly ambushed and shot at least 64 times moments after being released from prison, resulting in his death on Saturday.

Londre Sylvester was fitted with equipment for electronic monitoring after being released from the Cook County jail in Chicago and was walking towards a vehicle, when several shooters “exited two separate vehicles and all began to shoot in Sylvester’s direction, striking him numerous times,” according to police.

He was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead. As many as 64 bullet wounds were found on his head and other body parts.

Sylvester was a local rapper who went by the stage name KTS Dre, reported the Associated Press.

A 60-year-old woman, who was with Sylvester, was shot in one of her knees, according to police. She was hospitalised and was recovering from her injuries, while a second woman in her 30s suffered a graze wound to her mouth.

Police is looking at surveillance cameras in the area for evidence, reported the Chicago Tribune. “It appears Sylvester was the intended target while (the women) were inadvertently struck,” said the police.

On Friday, Sylvester had posted a bail amount of $5,000 (£3,600). Last month, the prosecutors slapped him with a petition for violation of his bail bond for allegedly failing to meet conditions of his release in a 2020 felony gun case.

Sylvester’s killing comes even as Chicago sees a rise in shooting incidents this year, amid a broader nationwide concern about increasing violence.

In March 2017, in a similar instance, a 23-year-old man was shot multiple times and killed within minutes of leaving jail. Subsequently, two weeks after this case, a 21-year-old man suffered six gunshot wounds while walking towards the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago.

In August 2017, another man, 28-year-old Kenneth Williams, was shot dead a few blocks away from the courthouse. According to police, he got into an argument with someone after leaving the courthouse.

Additional reporting by agencies