Sketch Shows Suspect in Rap Star’s Slaying

Police on Thursday released a composite sketch of the gunman suspected of killing rap star Notorious B.I.G. in a drive-by shooting and disclosed that they believe he may have conspired with others before carrying out the attack.

Los Angeles Police Lt. Ross Moen characterized the March 9 slaying as “a targeted hit” by a gunman described as an African American man in his early 20s, wearing a bow tie and driving a dark, late-model sedan at the time of the shooting.

Police and witnesses said the gunman was the only person in the car, but others may have been involved in planning the attack on the popular 24-year-old singer, whose real name was Christopher Wallace.

Moen declined to elaborate on how many other suspects may have been involved or what their roles might have been. He also refused to discuss what may have motivated the shooting.

Law enforcement sources have said investigators are focusing on the likelihood that the rapper was gunned down over a personal financial dispute with a Compton gang member.

Investigators have yet to uncover any evidence that the shooting was part of a dispute between feuding rap music factions.

Wallace, who also was known as Biggie Smalls, was shot shortly after midnight outside the Petersen Automotive Museum on Fairfax Avenue in the Mid-Wilshire district.

The 6-foot-3, 380-pound rapper, who had been attending a music industry party at the museum, was sitting in the passenger seat of a sports utility vehicle when the gunman pulled up in the next lane and fired at least seven shots from a 9-millimeter handgun.

Police said Thursday that they recently obtained a videotape belonging to rap music fans from Houston, who were taping outside the museum at the time of the shooting. Moen declined to discuss what the videotape shows.

“We believe the videotape will be instrumental in us solving the case,” he said.

Moen said the existence of the tape was discovered when a tipster came forward with the information after watching the television show “America’s Most Wanted,” which featured a segment on Wallace’s death.

Using information from the tipster, police flew to Houston, obtained a search warrant and seized the tape. Moen said the fans who shot the videotape are considered witnesses.

Another witness at the event, police said, is an Inglewood police officer who had been hired by a member of Wallace’s entourage for security.

Inglewood Police Chief Alex Perez said the officer’s role that night was under investigation to determine if his moonlighting violated department policy.

Moen said Thursday that the off-duty officer, who was in a vehicle directly behind Wallace’s, came forward after the shooting and has cooperated with the murder investigation.

As part of that investigation, detectives have interviewed more than 100 witnesses, including two witnesses who were in Wallace’s vehicle at the time of the shooting and provided the descriptions used in the composite drawing.

More than 30 videotapes from security cameras and cameras of people attending the party have been reviewed by police.

Moen said investigators have consulted with a number of law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and police departments in New York, Compton, Las Vegas and Houston.

He asked that anyone with any information on the gunman call detectives at: (888) 800-LAPD or (213) 847-3990.