A farewell to a murdered Maryland rapper has gone viral after the man’s body was apparently put on display.
Markelle Morrow, who rapped under the name “Goonew,” died last month after being found shot to death in a District Heights parking lot. According to WUSA TV, he was taken to a hospital in the area, where he later died.
Police are still looking for suspects and a motive, but Morrow’s family told NBC Washington they believe he was shot in a robbery.
On Sunday, the rapper’s friends and family gathered at Bliss, a Washington, DC nightclub, to honor his memory for $40 a piece, according to Hot97.com.
Video from the event shows Morrow’s body, believed to be embalmed, standing on stage wearing designer clothes and a crown.
The overall effect was like someone doing a reboot of Weekend At Bernie’s, a cult 1989 comedy about two guys who spend a weekend pretending a dead gangster was alive.
Other people also posted photos on social media.
Many people were shocked by the video.
There’s no way you’re supporting Goonew if you’re standing up for a funeral at a club. Ultimate disrespect, let this man rest in peace the right way!🤬
— حب نفسك🖤 (@Melanin_vxbes) April 4, 2022
If you’ve seen the video of Goonew’s body, you can’t tell me this society hasn’t collapsed already…
— silent hater (@doompeyton) April 4, 2022
Like I have to respect everything. Is a funeral in a club unorthodox, yes. But also to each his own. Goonew was a rapper. A coffin would have just been respectful.
– What ever. (@honeybutta__) April 4, 2022
The reaction was strong enough that the nightclub posted an apology on social media on Monday, saying it had been contacted by a local funeral home about a celebration of the rapper’s life but had no idea “what was going to happen.”