Police said that a Prince George’s County homicide victim was a promoter for a local go-go group that authorities believe has attracted a violence-prone following. But the group’s manager said the man was not their promoter and said the group should not be tied to murders.
Early Wednesday morning, 23-year-old Deandre Yates was fatally shot in his Forestville apartment.
Police identified Yates as a promoter for Total Control Band, or TCB, based on preliminary information. They do not know whether Yates’ death was tied to the band.
TCB manager Ben Adda said that the victim, who was also called “Mookie,” was not a promoter or a member of the band. He said that the victim went to a lot of parties at clubs, including where TCB has performed.
“He’s just a regular guy who parties,” Adda said, also describing the victim as “a really good guy.”
Police spokesman Cpl. Clinton Copeland told The Washington Examiner on Thursday that police are continuing the investigate the homicide and will make a correction if it turns out that Yates was not a TCB promoter.
Adda said that Yates’ death didn’t have anything to do with TCB, and that “it doesn’t make sense” to connect TCB to any murders.
Assistant Chief Kevin Davis said that TCB and other groups shout out the names of neighborhoods and groups, pitting crews against each other. But Adda said that all go-go bands call out neighborhood names and that it’s not done to provoke violence.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “It’s part of the go-go culture.”
TCB member Goldie Hefner told The Examiner that authorities and the media “keep on trying to put out this bad blood about TCB,” but the club-packing group takes safety precautions and gives back to the community, he said.
During performances, TCB will have security guards inside venues, and there will also be a heavy police presence outside clubs, Adda said. The group has also done charity drives and performed at events for both Adrian Fenty and Vincent Gray during their mayoral campaigns.
“At the end of the day, TCB is a music band,” Adda said.
