A federal jury acquitted Chicago rapper Lil Durk of all charges in a murder-for-hire case on Friday. The Grammy-winning artist, whose legal name is Durk Banks, faced accusations of orchestrating a 2022 ambush shooting in Los Angeles intended to kill rival rapper Quando Rondo.

Jurors deliberated for three days before returning not guilty verdicts on five counts, including conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, stalking resulting in death, and related charges. The case stemmed from an August 2022 shooting near the Beverly Center mall that killed Rondo's cousin, 24-year-old Saviay’a Robinson, instead of the intended target.

Prosecutors alleged Banks, 33, sought revenge for the 2020 killing of his close friend and fellow rapper King Von. They claimed Banks financed and directed associates to carry out the hit. Two co-defendants, Deandre Dontrell Wilson and David Brian Lindsey, were acquitted of murder-for-hire counts but convicted on stalking-related charges.

Banks remains in custody pending a separate trial scheduled for October 5 on federal racketeering and weapons charges. The defense argued that cooperating witnesses, including former associates, provided unreliable testimony in exchange for leniency.

The verdict came after the trial drew mainstream attention for its focus on rap lyrics as possible evidence and put a focus on celebrity connections in the hip-hop community.