d12's proof died over game 2006-04-18 by Royd Rage | 11 Comments | Alleged Proof Victim Dies
Tue Apr 18, 1:44 PM ET
The man who Detroit police say was shot by Proof in a nightclub shootout before the rapper was gunned down himself has died of his injuries.
Keith Bender Jr., a 35-year-old native of Motor City, passed away early Tuesday after being listed in critical condition at St. John's Hospital and Medical Center where he's been for the past week, according to Wende Berry, a hospital spokeswoman.
Bender was shot in the head last Tuesday at C.C.C., an after-hours hotspot along Eight Mile, the road immortalized by Eminem's hit semi-autobiographical film.
Witnesses at the scene told investigators that the dispute began when Proof--who was Slim Shady's best friend and cofounder of their rap collective D12--got into a heated argument with Bender over a pool game and pistol-whipped him.
According to authorities, things escalated when Proof pulled a gun and shot Bender in the head. The hip-hopster was then shot three times in the head and chest by Mario Etheridge, a bouncer at the bar and Bender's 28-year-old cousin. After being taken to a nearby hospital in a private vehicle, Proof was pronounced dead on arrival.
After driving Bender to a separate facility, Etheridge called 911 to report the shooting and after conferring with family and friends, surrendered to police several days later.
Etheridge's attorney, Randall Upshaw, told the Detroit Free Press last week that his client had acted in self-defense to save his cousin and was innocent. Michigan law allows citizens to use deadly force in self-defense situations or if the person is trying to protect the life of another.
Prosecutors didn't charge Etheridge directly in Proof's death, but instead slapped him with two felony counts of carrying a concealed weapon and discharging a firearm inside a building. Etheridge pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Saturday.
As the case is still under investigation, Wayne County district attorney Kym Worthy hasn't ruled out bringing the more serious murder charge.
As it stands, should Etheridge be convicted of the weapons violations, he could face up to five years in the slammer.
As for the C.C.C. club, Worthy filed a lawsuit today labeling the bar a "public nuisance" and seeking to have it shut down. The prosecutor's complaint not only cited last week's killings, but also an armed robbery and another shooting that occurred in October. They also accused the venue's owners of violating Michigan's liquor laws by being open after hours and serving alcohol to minors, as a police raid in December revealed.
Meanwhile, a public viewing for Proof is being held under extremely tight security until 9 p.m. tonight at Detroit's Fellowship Chapel. The slain rapper will be laid to rest tomorrow after an 11 a.m. service at the same location.
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Tagged: D12
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If that's the case, then as much as I hate to say it, he kinda brought it on himself. 
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yeah,i said the same thing to my mother today.
everything people say about rap music is justified when you hear these kinds of things...
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I no longer show sympathy for Proof.
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Rappers and thier big egos....................Very sad.
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Damn right.
What a stupid fucking situation.
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What a moron, I swear these guys believe that reality is a music video. If you do something that stupid you deserve to die. He was a murderer, end of story. I know that sounds harsh, but what a waste of two lives.
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Well there goes any sense of remorse I had for Proof. When I'm playing pool win or lose I might think about it, but I never whip out my gun and start pistol whipping. This is why rap will never escape the image of stupid "gaNgstaz," who go around shooting each-other.
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I still feel bad for Proof, the fact that he'd shoot a guy over a pool game, he must've known shooting a guy would get him into trouble.
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I still feel bad for him. It was a stupid thing to do, granted, and I feel sorry for the guy who Proof shot. It is crazy the way situations escalate, but you can't turn back time.
People need to learn to keep things in check.
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I still can't believe it. It's so f***ed up, and that's all you can really say about it.
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Needless to say, there was some drugs or alchohol present.
I hope.....
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