A 2015 shooting targeting Lil Wayne’s tour bus is back in court, and Young Thug and Birdman are fighting to keep the decade-old lawsuit from reaching a jury.
Bus driver Alvin Lewis is suing both rappers, claiming they bear responsibility for the April 25, 2015, attack that sprayed the bus with bullets after Wayne and his entourage left an Atlanta concert.
Lewis was driving at the time, and even though nobody was struck, he says the experience caused emotional distress and is seeking damages.
Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, and Birdman, born Bryan Williams, deny involvement. Their attorneys told a Cobb County judge Monday that no eyewitnesses or direct evidence connect either man to the gunfire.
Lewis’ attorney, Jeffrey Gewirtz, argues Jimmy “Peewee Roscoe” Winfrey was paid to carry out the attack amid disputes involving Wayne and the two artists.
Thugger’s attorney Jeffrey Reilly rejected that claim.
“Georgia law does not support such a broad brush of liability,” Reilly said.
Prosecutors previously cited the shooting during the racketeering case involving Young Thug, while Lewis’ side also referenced a $25,000 payment the rapper made toward Winfrey’s legal expenses.
Reilly said Young Thug was only helping a childhood friend and had long admired Weezy, whom he called one of his idols.
Chief Judge Eric Brewton is expected to decide whether Lewis’ lawsuit can move forward to trial.