Nicki Minaj's Tour Manager Killed in Stabbing

BY Alex HudsonPublished Feb 18, 2015

Tragedy has struck Nicki Minaj's upcoming tour. The rapper was in Philadelphia rehearsing for the spring outing when a stabbing attack left her tour manager dead and another crew member injured.

The incident took place in the early hours of this morning (February 18) outside of the Che Bar & Grill. At around 3 a.m. local time, De'Von Pickett was killed, while another man named Eric Parker was taken to hospital in critical condition. Police are looking for the perpetrator, who reportedly wore a black jacket and fled in a Buick LeSabre.

Minaj posted a photo of the two victims on Instagram, noting that the men had flown into Philadelphia two days earlier. She wrote, "#RIPDAYDAY condolences to your family. Unbelievable. Eric (on the right) is recovering. Another senseless act of violence that took the life of a great guy. So sad."

An NBC news report — which can be seen below — indicates that the incident began as an argument inside the bar that spilled out into the street, where the stabbing apparently occurred. The police believe the conflict may have involved a recently fired employee of the bar.

Minaj's tour is due to begin on March 16 in Stockholm, Sweden. The whole tour is in Europe; see the schedule here.

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