The Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace, died as a result of a drive-by shooting on March 9, 1997, in Los Angeles, California. He was 24 years old at the time. After attending an after-party following the Soul Train Music Awards, his SUV stopped at a red light at Wilshire Boulevard and South Fairfax Avenue. A dark-colored Chevrolet Impala pulled up alongside his vehicle, and the driver fired six shots, hitting Biggie four times. One bullet was fatal, passing through his thigh and chest and piercing vital organs. Despite emergency surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, he was pronounced dead at about 1:15 a.m.
The murder remains officially unsolved, though various theories and investigations have suggested involvement by corrupt LAPD officers and ties to the East Coast-West Coast rap feud of the 1990s. Some theories implicate figures connected to Suge Knight and the Bloods gang, while others point to internal disputes within the rap industry. However, no definitive conclusion has been reached.
