Rapper AKA from South Africa was fatally shot outside a restaurant in Durban.

Popular South African rap artist Kiernan Forbes, often known by his stage moniker AKA, was reportedly murdered in the city of Durban in the country’s southeast.

The 35-year-old artist’s parents announced his passing on social media early on Saturday, writing, “It is with extreme sadness that we acknowledge the passing of our beloved son, and confirm his untimely and tragic passing on the evening of February 10, 2023.” They added that they were awaiting more information from Durban police.

In a different statement, the KwaZulu-Natal police said that two men, ages 34 and 35, were fatally injured on Friday night shortly after 10 p.m. local time.

The unidentified victims seemed to be walking back to their car after leaving a restaurant when “two armed suspects allegedly approached them and walked to them from across the street and shot the victims at close range,” according to police. According to reports, the suspects made their way away from the site on foot.

According to the statement, both males were pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities are still looking into the shooting’s motivation.

A “well-known rapper” had been killed, police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda told South African news station News24, but he added that they would “not be revealing any names of the victims” before doing further inquiry.

The rapper’s companion was reported by the local media to be the other victim, who has not yet received an official name.

Forbes was scheduled to release his new album “Mass Country” later this month. Forbes was well known for the song “Lemons (Lemonade). He had previously been nominated for an MTV Europe music award and had won other South African honors.

The rapper received praise from the Southern African Music Rights Organization, which noted that he had “contributed enormously to the South African music business.”