A man accidentally shot his own gang member during a 2023 Las Vegas ambush, and a rap video he posted months later became the evidence that cracked the case wide open.

Four men now face murder charges after a Clark County grand jury indicted them Thursday for the death of Curtis Smith, an 18-year-old who was dropped at a hospital with a fatal gunshot wound and died days later.

The shooting happened on April 1, 2023, near Sunrise Mountain Drive and Tamara Costa Court when members of the YNIC gang planned to target rivals from a gang called Spazzout.

Jamario Lofton, Ishad Livingston, Terrell Shelton, and Lynnarion Washington all face charges including murder with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit murder, and gun-related offenses, all carrying criminal gang enhancements.

According to 8 News NOW, police found 70 cartridge cases at the scene and eight parked vehicles were struck by gunfire.

The group had been tracking the location of their intended targets, Knowledge Rodriguez and Marion Whaley, who were in a white BMW. Smith, Lofton, and the others were in a stolen Kia Sportage when they opened fire, but the situation quickly turned into chaos.

What makes this case unusual is how detectives solved it. In October 2023, months after the shooting, Lofton posted a music video where he rapped, “Took my brother, how the f### I turn back ok.”

That confession, combined with location data and forensic evidence, including DNA found on Smith’s clothing, gave investigators what they needed.

Gang members also testified at the grand jury about what happened during a meeting the same day as the shooting.

Livingston’s DNA was also found on the victim, and detectives discovered he’d been live-streaming on Facebook with Smith earlier that day while both were armed.

The hospital footage showed four men in hoodies and masks dragging Smith’s body from the backseat of the Kia before abandoning him outside Centennial Hills Hospital’s emergency entrance.

Livingston was wearing the same sweatshirt he’d had on during the Facebook live stream.

Police also found that Washington had searched online for “shooting on Charleston” around the same time, even though that information hadn’t been made public yet.

Gang violence in Las Vegas continues to plague communities, and this case shows how quickly situations can spiral into tragedy.

Per the Las Vegas Review-Journal, all four are scheduled to appear in district court on April 2, with bail set at $300,000 and conditions including high electronic monitoring and no contact with gang members.