Who killed Young Dolph? Memphis Police share suspect photos

Update 1/11/22: U.S. Marshals have captured the suspect wanted in Young Dolph’s murder.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Police released photos Thursday of suspects believed to be involved in a fatal South Memphis shooting that took the life of rapper Young Dolph.

The photos show a person in gray pants and a dark hoodie with gun in hand, apparently firing. Police also released a photo of a white car that may be linked to the case.

Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., was killed Wednesday after buying cookies at Makeda’s Butter Cookies on Airways Boulevard in South Memphis. No arrests have been made.

Police hope the pictures will cause someone to step up and identify who is responsible for gunning down the young rap star.

Just 24 hours after his killing, the crowd was still gathering Thursday afternoon outside Makeda’s Cookies. People just wanted to be near the place Dolph took his last breath.

Austin Short parked his truck next door and blasted Young Dolph music for all to hear.

“I come out here and I am gonna spend all day out here to support him, playing his music all day and whoever wants to come up and enjoy it with me can. We are just gonna live for him today,” said Short.

Tiffany Dailey said she met Dolph when he was a teen and helped pushed his music. Thursday, she brought 60 red roses to put at the spot where he died.

“I just wanted it to be a lot for him. ‘Cause he deserves all the love. He gave out a lot of love. To take him away is just a pain, a real pain,” said Dailey.

This latest example of senseless crime in Memphis has many asking when it will stop.

“Our problem, our challenge is, state law is weak,” Strickland said. “We have weak state laws that allows easy and wide spread access to guns while at the same time not punishing the wrongful use of those guns.”