The Man Once Charged with Von’s Murder Speaks for the First Time Since Acquittal – “I Never Wanted to Pull That Trigger… It Was Chaos”

 Lul Tim (Timothy Leeks), the man once charged with the murder of Chicago drill legend King Von, has broken his silence for the first time since his 2023 acquittal, declaring the fatal November 6, 2020, shooting outside an Atlanta nightclub “should never have happened.” In a 22-minute interview with Say Cheese TV released Tuesday, the 26-year-old former Quando Rondo associate, speaking softly and staring straight into the camera, offered a detailed account of the chaotic night that left Von dead at 26 and hip-hop forever scarred. “I never wanted to pull that trigger,” Leeks said, voice steady but eyes distant. “It was chaos – everybody reacting, nobody thinking. If one person had just backed down, Von would still be here.”

The shooting erupted around 3:25 a.m. outside the Cook Out Lounge on Delowe Drive after a heated altercation between Von’s OTF crew and Rondo’s entourage escalated from words to gunfire. Surveillance footage shows Von throwing punches at Rondo before Leeks, Rondo’s bodyguard, drew a legally carried Glock 43 and fired multiple rounds, striking Von five times – three in the torso, two in the head. Von was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital but pronounced dead at 3:29 a.m. Leeks, hit twice himself, was arrested at the scene and charged with felony murder. In March 2023, Fulton County prosecutors dropped all charges, citing self-defense after reviewing bodycam and witness statements showing Von initiating the physical confrontation.

Leeks, now living quietly in Georgia under witness protection protocols, described the moment everything spiraled: “It started with words – diss tracks, social media beef. Then we’re face-to-face in the parking lot. Von swung first. I reacted. It was fight or die.” He insists he never intended lethal force: “I was protecting my people. Von was strong – he had Rondo on the ground. I thought he had a gun. I didn’t know until later he didn’t.” Leeks claims the tragedy stemmed from “too much pride on both sides” and a culture where “backing down means you’re weak.”

The interview, viewed 8.2 million times in 24 hours, has reignited the debate that never truly died. #LulTimSpeaks trended with 3.1 million posts, splitting fans: some call it “closure,” others “disrespect.” Von’s sister Kayla B posted: “He took my brother and now wants sympathy? Never.” Lil Durk, Von’s mentor, remained silent, but OTF affiliates flooded Leeks’ comments with threats, forcing the video to be age-restricted.

Leeks expressed remorse but stood by self-defense: “I pray for Von’s family every day. That night haunts me. But I’m not a monster – I was 21, scared, and reacting.” He revealed surviving two bullets himself and living with PTSD, avoiding Atlanta nightlife entirely. “I lost everything too – my freedom for two years, my name, my peace.”

Legal experts note Georgia’s stand-your-ground law supported the acquittal, but cultural fallout persists. Von’s death birthed a wave of retaliatory violence, with over a dozen linked killings. Leeks, now studying for a GED and mentoring at-risk youth, says he wants “to stop the cycle.” “If me speaking saves one life, it’s worth the hate,” he concluded.

Five years on, the night still divides. For some, Leeks is a villain; for others, a survivor. One truth remains: in hip-hop’s deadly arithmetic, nobody wins.