The street where the Notorious B.I.G. was killed

Crime Scene Location Los Angeles, California

This is the location where the Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace) was shot dead.

It is situated at the intersection of South Fairfax Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.

At around 12:30 a.m. on March 9th, 1997, Wallace and his entourage left an after-party at the Petersen Automotive Museum on South Fairfax Avenue (the large red and silver building on the left).

After driving out of the museum's parking garage, the group came to a stop at the traffic lights at this intersection on Wilshire Boulevard.

While Wallace and his entourage were waiting for the traffic lights to turn green, a gunman in a dark-colored Chevrolet Impala SS pulled up on the passenger side of their vehicle and opened fire with a 9mm pistol.

Shooting — This is a north-facing Google Street View image of the intersection. The rapper's vehicle was stopped inside the red circle when another car pulled up on the right and opened fire. Following the shooting, his killer turned right and sped along Wilshire Boulevard.

The rap star was hit four times. One of the bullets proved to be fatal after it struck several vital organs.

Although Wallace's entourage rushed him to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Beverly Boulevard, doctors were unable to save his life.

At 1:15 a.m., one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time was pronounced dead.

He was only 24 years old.

Suspect — The gunman was an African-American male in his twenties who had a mustache. He wore a bow tie and a dark navy suit. Although the bow tie has led to speculation that the killer may have been a member of the Nation of Islam, this isn't necessarily the case. That night, many of the guests were wearing suits and evening party dresses. Therefore, it stands to reason that he may have purposely dressed this way to fit in.

Wallace's murder took place roughly six months after rival West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas. The pair's violent deaths served as a tragic reminder of what can happen when hip-hop rivalries spiral out of control.

Wallace's murder remains unsolved to this day.

Location

The address and GPS coordinates for the intersection are as follows:

Address

South Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, California, CA 90036, USA

GPS Coordinates

34.062898, -118.361453

34°03'46.43"N 118°21'41.23"W

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Area Information

📍 This location is just a block away from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It is situated in a neighborhood called Carthay Circle, which is in the Mid-City West region of Central LA.

Photos

Photos of the intersection and other related images.

Aerial map

This aerial map shows the exact location where Biggie's vehicle was parked when a gunman pulled up beside him in a Chevrolet Impala SS and opened fire.

Following the shooting, the Impala fled east along Wilshire Boulevard. Meanwhile, members of Biggie's shocked entourage frantically rushed to his aid.

At the time, the street was packed with people who had just left Vibe magazine's after-party at the museum.

Understandably, there was a lot of fear and confusion when the gunfire broke out.

Some onlookers believed that Bad Boy Records owner Sean Combs (Puff Daddy) had been shot. This is because Combs was also driving in a Chevrolet Suburban, just ahead of Wallace.

However, the vehicle that Puff Daddy was riding in made it through the intersection moments before the lights turned red.

Intersection

This Google Street View image of the intersection between South Fairfax Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard was taken in March 2018.

The red and "wavy" building on the left is the museum where the after-party took place.

Inset is a photograph of Biggie's dark green Chevrolet Suburban SUV. In 2018, it was reported that a "morbid memorabilia" curator was attempting to sell the vehicle for $750,000.

The parking garage that Biggie exited shortly before he was shot

This is the parking garage that Biggie exited just seconds before he was killed.

Shortly after midnight, the fire department shut down the Vibe magazine party at the Petersen Automotive Museum because of loud music and smoking violations.

As a result, attendees flocked out of the building and crowded the street outside.

When Wallace and his entourage exited this garage, they turned to their right and drove south on South Fairfax Avenue.

That night, they planned on attending an after-party at a house in the Hollywood Hills. However, they did not get far, as the shooting took place only 150 feet away from the garage entrance.

It is likely that Biggie's assailant waited outside of the event. Then, when he spotted his opportunity, he pulled up beside the vehicle and opened fire.

Witnesses said that Wallace's killer was an African-American man who was wearing a suit and a bow tie.

This location belongs to the following categories:

Crime Scenes Celebrities Unsolved Cases Hollywood Death Locations Rappers