Malcolm Shabazz, the grandson of Malcolm X (El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz), has died due to injuries suffered in a reported robbery. Developing reports say that Shabazz died Thursday (May 9) morning after allegedly being thrown from a rooftop in Mexico.
The Amsterdam News broke the story after a family friend took to Facebook to confirm the details of Shabazz’s murder. Author Terrie M. Williams wrote, “I’m confirming, per US Embassy, on behalf of the family, the tragic death of Malcolm Shabazz, grandson of Malcolm X. Statement from family to come.”
The exact details surrounding the death of Shabazz are still largely unconfirmed, although family members have stated that he was in Mexico at the time of his passing. Earlier reports said he was shot, while other reports trickling in say he was thrown off a roof in Tijuana.
Shabazz, 29, was the son of the late civil right leader’s second daughter, Qubilah Shabazz, and has battled legal troubles since the age of 12. In 1997, Shabazz was responsible for setting a fire that killed his grandmother, Betty Shabazz, in her New York apartment. Shabazz was found guilty of arson and manslaughter, serving 18 months with an additional four years of juvenile detention.
Back in February, Shabazz was arrested by the FBI on unknown charges while en route to Iran to attend a conference regarding Hollywood and the entertainment industry. Shabazz released a lengthy statement via former U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney’s Facebook page back in March addressing the arrest and stating that federal agents were not involved.
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