United States District Court, Central District of California
Monday, August 24, 2026
Opening statements and first evidence presentation
Prosecutors told the jury this case is about revenge, stalking, and premeditated murder—not music. They argued that Durk Banks (Lil Durk) spent years focused on retaliation after the November 2020 killing of his close friend and OTF collaborator Dayvon “King Von” Bennett in Atlanta. The government says that campaign ended in a botched ambush on August 19, 2022, at a gas station near the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. The intended target, Tyquian “Quando Rondo” Bowman, survived. His cousin, 24-year-old Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson, was killed. The prosecution previewed GPS data, rental-car records, flight bookings, text messages, surveillance video of vehicles circling the area, and a frantic 911 call from a witness. They described shooters coming down an alley and opening fire during rush hour. First witnesses included an LAPD detective who identified the Escalade and a former deputy who administered CPR to Robinson as he struggled to breathe in the back seat. Defense counsel told jurors Banks had nothing to do with the shooting and never offered or paid a bounty. They pointed instead to other OTF figures, including cooperating witnesses expected later in the trial. Banks has pleaded not guilty. The trial is expected to last several weeks.
Read the official Day 1 court transcript below.
Source: public court transcript