Two men injured in a 2022 shooting outside a Justin Bieber-hosted party are seeking $10.6 million in damages from rapper Kodak Black, alleging he played a direct role in triggering the violence.
Adam Rahman and Mark Schaefer, the two bystanders hit by stray bullets during the altercation, claim they witnessed Kodak Black initiate the confrontation that led to the gunfire. Kodak himself was also shot during the incident, which occurred outside The Nice Guy restaurant in Los Angeles.
The civil trial was initially set to begin this month, but during a court hearing on Wednesday, the plaintiffs’ lawyer argued that Kodak Black should be found “in default” for failing to respond to the lawsuit.
“Kodak has never been served with any lawsuit from California,” the rapper’s lawyer, Bradford Cohen, told Rolling Stone.
“I find it unusual that they’re attempting to sue the very person who was the most injured out of the individuals who got shot.”
The plaintiffs originally demanded $62 million in damages, but the court rejected the request, citing insufficient proof. A revised request for $10.6 million was also denied last month after the judge noted a lack of medical documentation to support the claims.
Initially, Justin Bieber and the owners of the venue were also named in the lawsuit, but a judge ruled in June 2024 that the shooting was not “foreseeable” by the venue, dismissing the corporate defendants. The plaintiffs later voluntarily dropped Bieber from the suit as well.
Kodak Black remains the sole defendant in the case, though legal arguments over his liability are ongoing.
