“THE TRUTH NO ONE KNEW”—those words from King Von’s cousin, Taesha Ferguson, have reopened a wound in the hip-hop world that’s never fully healed. Five years after the Chicago drill pioneer’s tragic death on November 6, 2020, Ferguson claims in a viral TikTok on November 20, 2025, that Von didn’t succumb solely to his gunshot wounds. Instead, she alleges he passed from shock following a second emergency surgery, a revelation that’s left fans reeling, reigniting grief, and sparking fierce debates. Ferguson’s caption reads, but the video—now at 8 million views—has divided the community between believers and skeptics.

Dayvon Daquan Bennett, 26, known as King Von, was gunned down outside an Atlanta nightclub in a shootout involving O’Block rivals and Quando Rondo’s crew. The official autopsy from Fulton County Medical Examiner listed multiple gunshot wounds as the cause, with Von pronounced dead at Grady Memorial Hospital after initial surgery. His death, amid a feud escalated by 2019’s “Vulture Island” diss from NBA YoungBoy, robbed drill of a storytelling savant whose Grandson mixtape (2019) humanized street life with raw lyricism. “Von was poetry in pain,” Lil Durk eulogized, his OTF label mate and mentor.

Ferguson’s claim upends that narrative. “He survived the bullets—doctors got the first round out,” she says in the clip, voice trembling. “But the second surgery, to stop the bleeding… his body went into shock. They didn’t tell us right away.” She accuses the hospital of “rushing” Von to the OR without stabilizing him, implying negligence contributed. “He was fighting—our Von always fought—but shock took him. Fans deserve the full story.” The video, filmed in a dimly lit Chicago living room amid Von memorabilia, ends with Ferguson’s plea: “Don’t let his death be a mystery. Justice for Von.”

Fans are in shock all over again. #VonTruth trended with 1.5 million posts, supporters like Quando Rondo (acquitted in Von’s case) tweeting, “If it’s true, Grady owes answers—Von deserved better.” Skeptics, including Durk, fired back: “Official report said gunshots—respect the dead, don’t stir graves.” The controversy echoes 2020’s immediate aftermath, when conspiracy theories swirled amid the feud’s fallout—Rondo’s “End of Story” video drew 50 million views, but no charges stuck.

Ferguson’s allegation arrives amid ongoing scrutiny of Grady Memorial, Atlanta’s safety-net hospital criticized for understaffing during the pandemic. A 2024 DOJ probe into medical errors lends credence, but experts caution: “Shock post-surgery is common in trauma cases,” says Dr. Elena Vasquez, a forensic pathologist. Von’s estate, managed by Durk, released a statement: “We honor his memory with music, not myths—focus on the legacy.”

Von’s influence endures: His Welcome to O’Block (2020) peaked at No. 2 on Billboard, inspiring Lil Baby and Polo G. As fans mourn anew, Ferguson’s voice amplifies the unresolved: What if the streets weren’t the only killer? In drill’s deadly echo, truth remains the hardest bar to drop. The hip-hop world listens—shocked, saddened, searching for closure.