Rapper's bodyguard pleads innocent; man faces charge in mass shooting at Little Rock club

Ricky Hampton, left, and Kentrell Gwynn
Ricky Hampton, left, and Kentrell Gwynn

The bodyguard for Memphis rapper Ricky Hampton pleaded innocent Tuesday in federal court in Little Rock to two gun charges on which he was indicted Aug. 3.

Kentrell Dominique Gwynn, 25, of Memphis appeared briefly Thursday for his plea and arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe Volpe. Gwynn's attorney, Erin Cassinelli of Little Rock, entered the innocent plea for him.

Gwynn and Hampton, also 25 and from Memphis, are set for a Sept. 18 jury trial before U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes.

Hampton was indicted July 6 on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm on June 25, when he was videotaped carrying a machine-gun-style pistol outside Club Envy in Forrest City, where he had just finished performing under the stage name Finese2Tymes. Hampton is also facing state charges in a shooting outside the club in which a woman's rear car window was shot out and she was grazed by a bullet.

Victims of Little Rock mass shooting

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On July 1, a week after the Forrest City shooting, Hampton and Gwynn were in downtown Little Rock for Hampton's performance at the Power Ultra Lounge at 220 W. Sixth St. when gunfire broke out and 25 people suffered gunshot wounds that weren't considered life-threatening. Police have said multiple shooters fired 20 to 40 shots.

Gwynn's name was added to a superseding federal indictment Aug. 3, on charges of transferring the machine-gun-style pistol to Hampton, knowing Hampton was a convicted felon who can't legally possess a gun, and possessing and transporting a Springfield XD .40-caliber pistol while working for the rapper.

Authorities said July 18 that spent .40-caliber Sig Sauer shell casings were found on the Power Ultra Lounge stage after the July 1 shooting, and that at least one .40-caliber round recovered from the shooting scene had been "preliminarily matched" to shell casings from the Springfield XD .40-caliber pistol.

Both guns and another .40-caliber Glock pistol were found in a car Gwynn was driving, and in which Hampton was a front-seat passenger, when both men were apprehended July 2 outside the Side Effects club in Birmingham, Ala., where Hampton was to perform.

Gwynn had the Springfield XD pistol in a holster strapped to his thigh, and it was loaded with nine rounds of Sig Sauer .40-caliber ammunition, according to a federal agent's affidavit.

The Glock was found lying on the car seat next to Gwynn, and a Glock extended magazine was found between the driver's seat and the center console, according to the affidavit. It said the machine-gun-style pistol was found in the back seat, and that Gwynn claimed ownership of all three guns.

The agent said Gwynn carried a concealed-carry permit from Tennessee and claimed to be a bounty hunter.

Cassinelli told Volpe on Tuesday that she wanted to reserve Gwynn's right to request a detention hearing at a later time. For now, he remains in federal custody, as does Hampton, who on July 24 was found to be a potential danger to the community and was ordered to remain in custody until trial.

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Metro on 08/16/2017

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