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Ricky Lamar Hawk, better known by his stage name Silentó, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill to the 2021 shooting and killing of his cousin, Frederick Rooks III. The sentencing, announced on June 11, 2025, represents the culmination of a tragic and deeply troubling case that has unfolded over the last four years.
At the time of the shooting in the early hours of January 21, 2021, 34‑year‑old Rooks was found with multiple gunshot wounds—specifically to the face and leg—at a suburban intersection in DeKalb County, Georgia. Investigators discovered ten spent bullet casings near the scene, surveillance footage captured a white BMW SUV speeding away, and GPS data later confirmed it was Silentó’s vehicle. Ballistics testing linked the casings to a firearm found in Silentó’s possession at the time of his arrest.
Arrested on February 1, 2021, Silentó confessed to the shooting during a police interview approximately ten days later. As part of a plea agreement, the original malice murder charge was dropped, and Silentó instead pleaded guilty but mentally ill to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and concealing a death.
Judge Courtney L. Johnson of DeKalb County Superior Court imposed a 30‑year sentence, including credit for the four years Silentó has spent in custody since his arrest. In court, Rooks’s family voiced frustration, describing the sentence as insufficient for the loss they’ve endured. “We just want justice,” stated Rooks’s brother, reflecting the family's ongoing grief.
Silentó rose to international fame at age 17 with his viral 2015 hit “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” which became a cultural phenomenon and launched his music career. However, his time in the spotlight was marred by a series of disturbing legal and personal struggles. In 2020, he was arrested twice in quick succession: once in Santa Ana, California, for domestic violence, and then for allegedly entering a stranger’s home wielding a hatchet. Later that year, he was also cited for reckless driving after being clocked at 143 mph on Interstate 85.
Mentally, Silentó has been open about his battles with depression and suicidal ideation. In a 2019 appearance on The Doctors, he described suffering from deep personal trauma. His publicist later disclosed that he had attempted suicide in 2020. Defense counsel and supporters emphasized the rapper’s deteriorating mental health, attributing the shooting to a worsening bipolar disorder diagnosed while in custody. Despite these mitigating factors, the court determined the severity of the crime warranted a lengthy sentence.
