Rapper Too Short cited, was carrying loaded gun at airport, police say

Rapper Too Short was cited at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank on Thursday a day after fleeing a security checkpoint when a screener discovered a loaded handgun in his carry-on luggage, police said.

The rapper, born Todd Anthony Shaw, was passing through the checkpoint around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday when a Transportation Security Administration employee noticed the handgun going through a baggage scanner, said Burbank Police Sgt. Claudio Losacco.

But before he could be detained, Shaw fled the building via an exit door, leaving his belongings behind, the Burbank Leader reported.

Shaw returned to the airport on Thursday with his attorney and was cited and released for allegedly possessing a loaded handgun in a public place, Losacco said.

The rapper is due in court next month.

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Oakland, Shaw is considered one of the pioneers of West Coast hip-hop, with hits including “The Ghetto,” “Burn Rubber” and “Blow the Whistle.”

He also has a history of run-ins with the law.

In 2009, he was arrested twice on suspicion of driving under the influence. A year later, he was charged with misdemeanor battery during a performance at an Idaho nightclub.

Last year, he was arrested in Hollywood on suspicion of drunk driving and drug possession.

Rumors have also circulated that he was involved in a shooting and car crash on the Las Vegas Strip that left Oakland rapper Kenny Clutch and two others dead. But a message on Too Short’s Facebook page said he had “no knowledge or connection to this incident.”

Alene Tchekmedyian writes for Times Community News.

Follow the reporter on Twitter: @atchek