Everyone in Memphis remembers where they were when the news broke. It was a Wednesday. November 17, 2021. The air was crisp, the kind of day where you’re just starting to feel the holiday season kick in. Then, the images started hitting social media. A camo-wrapped Corvette parked outside a bright yellow storefront. Shattered glass. Yellow police tape.
The Young Dolph shooting video—specifically the surveillance stills released by the Memphis Police Department shortly after—became one of the most haunting pieces of media in rap history. It wasn't just about the violence. It was about the location. Makeda’s Homemade Cookies on Airways Boulevard was a staple. Dolph wasn't there for a club appearance or a drug deal; he was buying cookies for his mother.
The footage that changed everything
When the trial for Justin Johnson (known as the rapper Straight Drop) finally kicked off in late 2024, the jury saw much more than the grainy stills we’d all been squinting at on Twitter for years. They saw the "why" and the "how" through a mountain of digital breadcrumbs.
Prosecutors didn't just play one Young Dolph shooting video. They played a sequence.
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First, there’s the interior footage from Makeda’s. You see Dolph—Adolph Thornton Jr.—walking in with his brother, Marcus. He’s on his phone, looking relaxed. He’s just a guy picking up treats. Then, the camera catches the cashier. Her eyes go wide. She sees something through the front window that makes her bolt for the back of the store. A few seconds later, the world changed.
Then you have the exterior angles. Two men jump out of a white Mercedes-Benz. One has a handgun; the other is carrying a Draco, a stabilized AK-47 pistol. They aren't hesitant. They open fire into the store window in broad daylight. The muzzle flashes are visible even on the low-res security feed.
It was over in seconds.
What the trial revealed about the gunmen
Honestly, the most chilling part of the court proceedings wasn’t the shooting itself. It was the movement before and after. Investigator Terence Dabney walked the jury through footage from various apartment complexes and gas stations.
We saw Justin Johnson in the same outfit—the one the shooter wore—just 30 minutes before the murder. He was on the phone with his young daughter. Imagine that. One minute you’re a dad talking to your kid, and the next, you’re pulling a trigger at Makeda's.
Cornelius Smith, the second shooter, actually took the stand. That was a moment nobody expected. He pointed at himself in the Young Dolph shooting video and said, "That's me." He admitted everything. He told the court how they followed the camo Corvette, how they waited for the right moment, and how they weren't even supposed to find him there—it was just "luck" for them and a death sentence for Dolph.
The bounty and the motive
Why do it? Money. Plain and simple.
Smith testified that there was a $100,000 hit on Dolph’s head. He claimed the money was put up by Anthony "Big Jook" Mims, the brother of Yo Gotti and a high-ranking figure in the CMG label. This confirmed the long-standing rumors of a deadly beef between Dolph’s Paper Route Empire (PRE) and Gotti’s Collective Music Group (CMG).
Interestingly, Hernandez Govan, the man accused of being the middleman who orchestrated the hit, was actually acquitted of all charges in August 2025. The jury didn't feel the evidence—largely based on Smith's testimony—was enough to link him to the conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt.
The forensic details: 22 shots
The medical examiner’s testimony was brutal. Dr. Juliet Scantlebury confirmed that Dolph was hit 22 times. The shots struck his head, neck, and torso. When you watch the Young Dolph shooting video, you see the sheer volume of lead being pumped into that small storefront. There was no way to survive it.
The weapons themselves—that Draco and the handgun—were never recovered. They vanished into the Memphis streets. But the car? The white Mercedes was found abandoned behind a house, partially hidden by tree limbs. It had been cleaned, but not well enough. Investigators found DNA and phone records that tied the whole thing together.
Why this case still feels different
Dolph was a legend in Memphis because he was independent. He turned down major label deals. He gave out turkeys at Thanksgiving. He was the "King of Memphis" to a huge portion of the city.
Seeing the Young Dolph shooting video played in a courtroom felt like a finality. It wasn't just a "hip-hop tragedy" anymore; it was a documented, cold-blooded execution for a paycheck.
Justin Johnson was eventually found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and being a felon in possession of a weapon. He got life in prison plus an extra 50 years. He sat there emotionless when the verdict was read. No remorse. Just the end of the road.
Actionable insights for following the legacy
If you're still looking into the case or want to honor what Dolph actually stood for, here are a few ways to navigate the aftermath:
- Look for the full trial archives: Outlets like Law&Crime and Court TV have the full testimonies. If you want the truth, watch the witnesses, not the TikTok theories.
- Support the Paper Route legacy: Dolph’s label, PRE, is still active. Key Glock and other artists are carrying the torch. Listening to the music is the best way to keep the independent spirit alive.
- Remember Makeda’s Cookies: The shop went through hell after this. They’ve since reopened at a new location. If you’re ever in Memphis, go buy a cookie. It’s a way to support a local business that was caught in the crossfire of a tragedy.
- Understand the impact of "The Hit": This case is a case study in how social media and surveillance have changed criminal investigations. The "digital footprint" is what ultimately convicted Johnson, from the cell tower pings to the gas station footage.
The story of the Young Dolph shooting video is more than just a crime scene. It's the story of a city losing a hero and a justice system finally catching up to the people who took him.