Millions mourned the death of Migos rapper Takeoff after a tragic shooting took place at a Houston bowling alley in November of 2022.
A shooting that not only claimed the life of Takeoff but traumatized and nearly claimed the lives of countless others. Sydney Leday was shot in the head that same night and miraculously lived to tell her story.
In this TSR Investigates exclusive interview, Leday is stepping into The Shade Room and opening up about what she experienced that night.
From what she says happened moments before the shooting, to the difficult road to recovery.
33-year old Patrick Clark, a known associate of J.Prince, has since been arrested and charged as one of the shooters.
But will justice truly be served in this situation? The Shade Room investigates…
Sydney had been celebrating her 24th birthday, which also happened to be Halloween, and was dressed up as a nun, complete with a wig to match and everything.
After a night out with her girlfriends, she got an invite to a party at a bowling alley. The decision to attend said party not only changed her life, but almost cost her her life.
Now, she needs our help.
“I’ve never been in this situation before, or known anybody that had to go through what I’ve gone through,” Sydney told TSR Investigates’ Justin Carter. “I’m still working to try and get back to normal, as much as possible.”
Sydney and a friend ended up going to 810 Billiard and Bowling to attend the party, reportedly being thrown by music executive J. Prince.
She went on to say that the vibes were good until the end of the event.
“It seemed like everyone knew each other, we were watching them play the game of dice. But when we went outside ready to go home, that’s when things changed.”
She recalls seeing Migos rapper Quavo talking to another man, and that’s when an argument broke out.
“It wasn’t even an argument at first, in my opinion. It seemed more like they were just talking about the game,” she said. “I was caught off-guard (when things started to escalate.) That’s when I knew it was time to leave when I saw somebody pulling out a weapon.”
She started making her way towards an escalator. That’s when she heard the gunshots. One after the other.
“Everything happened in a few seconds,” Sydney told TSR Investigates. “As soon as I saw that I tried to hurry up and get out of there.”
Sydney said she started to run away before she found herself falling to the ground. Her friend, though, picked her up. She said she didn’t even know what happened to her at first.
“Fortunately I had on a wig, and when I took it off, and noticed I could feel a lot of blood. I knew what happened to me, I just couldn’t understand it.”
She was bleeding in the back of the head. They managed to get in the car, where her friend rushed her to the hospital. Sydney says she then called her mom and told her to meet them at the hospital.
But on the way, she started having a seizure. When they did make it to the hospital, Sydney was intubated and placed in a medically induced coma for days, only to eventually wake up, surrounded by her family.
Witnesses told police that the dice game was in excess of $100,000. They say that’s what led to the argument.
Kirsnick Khari Ball, better known as his stage name Takeoff, had been shot too and fatally wounded. Authorities said Takeoff was not involved in the game or the argument, and was killed as an innocent bystander.
The Shade Room first reported back in December that Patrick Clark, a known associate of J. Prince, was arrested and charged as one of the shooters.
An affidavit states Clark could be seen with gun in one hand, firing multiple rounds, and a wine bottle in the other.
Sydney says it’s not lost on her how lucky she was to survive the shooting which claimed a beloved rapper’s life.
It’s still unclear who should her, but that’s not her focus these days. She has a permanent bald spot now on the back of her head and is in therapy for post-traumatic stress.
She says that New Year’s was particularly difficult, as the loud noises from the fireworks left her reeling in fear.
“I would tell (the shooter) that is was a senseless act, it wasn’t needed and it impacted people in a big way,” she went on to say.
Please consider donating to Sydney Leday’s fundraiser here GoFundMe.
TSR Investigates explores cold cases and special interest news stories underrepresented in mainstream media.
