Security guard wounded in shooting outside Drake’s mansion in Toronto
Drake's mansion: Authorities investigate outside the Toronto mansion of rapper Drake on Tuesday. (Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
TORONTO — A security guard was seriously wounded outside the Toronto mansion of rapper Drake early Tuesday, authorities said.
Inspector Paul Krawczyk said he could not confirm whether Drake was home at the time of the shooting, which occurred shortly after 2 a.m., The Globe and Mail reported. Krawczyk told reporters that police were in contact with Drake’s team, whose members were cooperating with law enforcement officials, according to the newspaper.
The guard, who was not identified, was hospitalized with a gunshot wound, The New York Times reported. Krawczyk said the suspects fled in a vehicle and are still at large. He added that the shooting had been captured on video, according to the newspaper.
The shooting occurred outside the gates in front of Drake’s 50,000-square-foot mansion on Park Lane Circle in Toronto’s North York neighborhood, also known as Bridle Path, the Times reported.
Drake, whose legal name is Aubrey Graham, has recently sparred publicly with California rapper Kendrick Lamar in a series of “diss tracks,” The Guardian reported.
Over the past week, the two rappers have aimed serious, unproven allegations against each other, according to the Globe and Mail. They range from domestic assault to the fathering of a secret child, and even to the use of Ozempic, a weight-loss drug, the newspaper reported.
Lamar’s most recent track, “Not Like Us,” features a satellite image of Drake’s mansion in Toronto, according to The Guardian. The song, which taunts Drake and his associates as “certified pedophiles,” is currently topping the charts globally and in the United States on streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music, the Times reported.
Krawczyk was asked if the feud between the rappers was a factor in the shooting, but he said it was too early to discuss a motive although investigators were aware of the bad blood.
A publicist representing Drake declined to comment, the Globe and Mail reported.
Photos: Drake through the years Here are some memorable photos of rapper Drake through the years. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for dcp)
Photos: Drake through the years 2006: Drake arrives at the 20th annual Soul Train Music Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on March 4, 2006, in Pasadena, California. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Photos: Drake through the years 2007: "DeGrassi High" cast members (from left) Cassie Steele, Shane Kippel, Drake and Shenae Grimes pose for a photo backstage during MTV's Total Request Live at the MTV Times Square Studios on October 2, 2007, in New York City. (Scott Gries/Getty Images)
Photos: Drake through the years 2009: Rapper Drake poses in the press room during the Grammy Nominations Concert Live! at the Club Nokia on December 2, 2009, in Los Angeles. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: Drake through the years 2010: Drake accepts the awards for Best Male Hip Hop Artist during the 2010 BET Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on June 27, 2010, in Los Angeles. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Photos: Drake through the years 2011: Singers Drake (left) and Rihanna perform onstage during The 53rd annual Grammy Awards held at Staples Center on February 13, 2011, in Los Angeles. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Photos: Drake through the years 2012: Rapper Drake performs at ESPN the Magazine's "NEXT" Event on February 3, 2012, in Indianapolis. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images for ESPN)
Photos: Drake through the years 2013: Rapper Drake smiles during the 2013 NBA All-Star game at the Toyota Center on February 17, 2013, in Houston. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Photos: Drake through the years 2014: ESPYs host Drake backstage at the 2014 ESPYS at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on July 16, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Christopher Polk/Getty Images for ESPYS)
Photos: Drake through the years 2015: Recording artists Madonna (left) and Drake kiss onstage during Day 3 of the 2015 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on April 12, 2015, in Indio, California. (Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Coachella)
Photos: Drake through the years 2016: Drake presents Rihanna with the the Video Vanguard Award during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016, in New York City. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Photos: Drake through the years 2017: Drake (left) and Future perform on the Coachella Stage during Day 2 of the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on April 15, 2017, in Indio, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella)
Photos: Drake through the years 2018: Rapper Drake attends Day 8 of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2018, in London. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Photos: Drake through the years 2019: Drake accepts the Best Rap Song award for "God's Plan" onstage during the 61st annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for the Recording Academy)
Photos: Drake through the years 2020: Recording artists Rosalia and Drake attend the 2020 Tokyo Olympic collection fashion show at the Shed on February 5, 2020, in New York City. (Bennett Raglin/Getty Images)
Photos: Drake through the years 2021: Drake, winner of the Artist of the Decade Award, poses backstage for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on May 23, 2021, at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Rich Fury/Getty Images for dcp)