Migos rapper Takeoff shot dead in Houston

Rapper Takeoff has been shot dead at a party in Houston.

Rapper Takeoff has been shot dead at a party in Houston, Texas, his representative has confirmed.

The 28-year-old Migos star was fatally shot at the private event, which was held at a bowling alley.

Takeoff – whose real name is Kirshnik Khari Ball – was reported to have been playing dice with bandmate Quavo, 31, when the shooting occurred.

According to police, a man was shot in the head or neck.

Quavo – whose real name is Quavious Keyate Marshall – is understood to be unharmed.

Officers responded to reports of a shooting at 810 Billiards & Bowling shortly after 2.30am.

Dozens of people had gathered on a balcony outside of the bowling alley, which is on the third floor, where they discovered one man dead when they arrived, police said.

Two other people were also injured and taken to hospitals in private vehicles, according to officers.

Security guards who were in the area heard the shooting but did not see who did it, police lieutenant Ronnie Willkens said.

An AP reporter at the scene observed a body loaded into a medical examiner’s van around 10am, more than seven hours after the shooting.

No arrests have been announced.

Along with fellow rappers Quavo and Offset, Takeoff is best known as a member of Migos – a rap trio from suburban Atlanta, credited as one of the most influential rap groups of their generation.

Conversations on twitter indicate that the rapper  was with his band-mate Quavo who was playing dice, when the scuffle happened that lead to Takeoff’s death.