Nearly 25 years ago, in the early hours of a cold winter night, three NYPD detectives responded to a call at the Midtown North precinct. Rap mogul Sean Combs, then known as Puffy, along with his girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, his bodyguard Anthony “Wolf” Jones, and rapper Jamal “Shyne” Barrow, had been arrested after a shooting incident inside a Times Square club that left three bystanders injured.
Lopez, then 30, was found in custody at the precinct, while Combs awaited questioning, putting his plans for a grand millennium celebration on hold.
Now, the events of that night and the ensuing high-profile trial in early 2001 have resurfaced. Sources suggest that the infamous shooting and trial may be re-investigated as part of a broader federal probe into Combs, now 54, also known as Diddy, whose past includes involvement in multiple shooting incidents.
Recently, Homeland Security agents conducted raids on Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami, reportedly prompted by sex-trafficking allegations. These raids come on the heels of a lawsuit filed by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, alleging repeated sexual assault by Combs over a period of more than a year.
Jones compared Combs to Jeffrey Epstein and accused him of various offenses, including assault and forcing him into procuring sex workers and drugs. This lawsuit followed another filed by R&B singer Cassie, Combs’ former girlfriend, alleging sexual violence and human trafficking.
The shooting incident in 1999 involved an altercation between Combs and a Brooklyn thug nicknamed “Scar,” which escalated into gunfire. Combs, Jones, and Barrow faced a trial lasting seven weeks, resulting in Combs and Jones being acquitted, while Barrow was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Speculation has long surrounded Combs’ role in the shooting, with allegations that he made Barrow take the fall for the incident. Witnesses have provided varying accounts, with some alleging Combs’ involvement in the shooting.
