BloodHound Q50's Pregnant Girlfriend Was in Car as Gunmen Ambushed Rapper at Chicago Gas Station

The pregnant woman who was with US drill rapper BloodHound Q50 when he was fatally shot outside a Chicago petrol station has denied claims that she helped arrange the attack.

The woman, who described Cooper as her partner, told FOX 32 Chicago she was sitting in the passenger seat of his white Tesla when the shooting began. In a Facebook post on Monday, 14 September, she identified herself as the woman seen leaving the vehicle in footage of the attack.

Her comments came as Chicago police investigated the killing of 22-year-old Mikquale Cooper, known professionally as BloodHound Q50. Police said two vehicles pulled alongside his Tesla at a BP petrol station at 4248 S Wentworth Avenue shortly before 4am on Sunday, 13 September, before several people opened fire.

Woman Describes Moments Before Shooting

In her Facebook post, the woman said she noticed men walking around the vehicle and urged Cooper to leave quickly after he returned from the petrol station.

She also claimed the Tesla could not immediately move while Cooper was trying to put it into drive because of a seatbelt issue. She said she was looking through the rear window when she saw people approaching the vehicle.

The woman said she got out of the passenger side after hearing gunshots and ran from the scene while screaming for help. FOX 32 reported her account and said she had since left Illinois, while noting that her claim about the seatbelt had not been independently verified.

A witness told the Chicago Sun-Times that the woman said one of the shooters had approached their vehicle while Cooper was inside the petrol station and warned her that it would be his last night alive. The witness stayed after the shooting to console her.

She later criticised people discussing the shooting online, saying they did not know what had happened and denying that she had set Cooper up.

Six Gunmen Reportedly Opened Fire

According to a Chicago police report, Cooper drove the white Tesla to the BP station shortly before 4am. A black Infiniti with two masked occupants pulled alongside the Tesla, while a Honda Accord carrying additional masked occupants entered the station.

Cooper and the woman went into the petrol station before returning to the Tesla, the report said. Six assailants then emerged from the vehicles and opened fire before fleeing.

A witness told the Sun-Times he believed more than 100 shots had been fired, while the police report cited more than 50 rounds. The exact number has not been established. The Tesla and a nearby Subway restaurant were also damaged by gunfire.

Police Investigation Ongoing

Cooper was struck in the chest and shoulder and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about half an hour after the shooting. The Cook County medical examiner's office recorded his death at 4.35am.

The woman's account of the moments before the shooting has not been independently verified in key respects. Police have not publicly accused her of involvement in the killing.

The investigation remains focused on identifying the people who carried out the shooting and establishing why Cooper was targeted.