A 30-year-old man who was killed last weekend at the Saga VIP Lounge in Springfield, Massachusetts, is being remembered as a star in the city’s rap scene.
As an artist, David Carrasquillo went by the name BossDawn. His bio on Soundcloud says music has been his full-time career since 2020.
Salvador Perez, a music engineer and rap artist, was a close friend. The two met in high school and Perez described Carrasquillo as one of the best rap artists in the city.
“He motivated a lot of people out here in everything that he did,” Perez said. “He was a great artist. He was a great dad. He was a great friend and he was so determined to make it in his world.”
Perez said he plans to complete an album Carrasquillo was working on before he was killed. Carrasquillo was also working on a music video, an unfinished version of which was released this week on Facebook.
Mayor Domenic Sarno's office said the owner of Saga VIP Lounge agreed to turn in his entertainment license into the city, while an investigation proceeds. The mayor ordered city officials to conduct licensing hearings.
"My sympathy, thoughts, prayers and encouragement go out to the victim’s family and friends," Sarno said in a statement. "More senseless gun violence and the loss of a life. If establishments are not going to operate properly, I/We will move to shut them down in the name of the public’s health and safety."
