The CCC Club: Where Proof was killed

This is the location where D12 rapper Proof was killed.

It is located at 15308 East 8 Mile Road in Detroit, Michigan.

At the time, it was called the CCC Club. These days, the building is vacant.

The club was forced to shut down shortly after the shooting because it had been illegally operating outside authorized hours. Prosecutors also argued it was a "nuisance" where multiple violent incidents occurred.

Following its closure, the building was converted into a retail space.

Shooting

On April 11, 2006, Proof (32) was shot dead at the club during an altercation that was sparked by a game of pool.

The rapper, whose real name was DeShaun Dupree Holton, rose to fame as a member of Eminem's group D12.

Before D12 released its debut studio album, Devil's Night, he often performed as a "hype man" at Eminem's concerts.

That night, Proof, Reginald "Mudd" Moore, and two other men were barhopping in Detroit when they visited the CCC Club, which was also known as the "Triple C."

They arrived at the club shortly after 3 a.m.

While they were there, Proof began playing a game of pool with another patron named Keith Bender.

It is unclear what happened during the game, but the two men soon got into a heated argument. "Mudd" later told hip-hop magazine XXL that he heard Bender shouting, "I don't care who the f*ck you are." He also admitted that Proof was eager to start fights.

Although onlookers initially separated the pair, the situation soon turned physical.

Bender's cousin, Mario Etheridge, worked as a bouncer at the club. When the fight started, he attempted to break it up by drawing a weapon and firing two shots into the ceiling.

However, the gunshots had the opposite effect, as they caused further panic and confusion.

Proof, who was highly intoxicated, allegedly reacted by pistol-whipping and shooting Bender in the face.

When Etheridge saw Proof shoot his cousin, he immediately opened fire on the rapper.

Proof was hit once in the head and twice in the chest. Although he wasn't officially pronounced dead until later, witness accounts from his entourage indicate he died almost immediately.

Bender was taken to the hospital, where he passed away eight days later.

Following an investigation, the authorities determined that Etheridge had acted in defense of another. Consequently, he was not charged with murder.

Proof's death attracted significant media attention due to his close connection with Eminem.

Two days after the shooting, Eminem released a statement paying homage to his best friend. He also asked people to focus on the rapper's life achievements rather than the circumstances of his death.