Rapper who performed at Little Rock club where 28 injured in shooting ordered detained until trial

 This Sunday, July 2, 2017, file photo provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff shows Ricky Hampton, also known as Finese2Tymes.
This Sunday, July 2, 2017, file photo provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff shows Ricky Hampton, also known as Finese2Tymes.

The rapper who performed at a Little Rock nightclub where 28 were injured in a shooting was ordered detained until trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jerome Kearney after a hearing that lasted nearly two hours Monday.

Ricky Hampton, who performs under the name Finese 2Tymes, is not charged in the Little Rock shooting, though authorities have described him as a "person of interest" in that investigation.

The 25-year-old faces a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm stemming from a shooting June 25 outside Club Envy in Forrest City. He also faces state charges of aggravated assault and first-degree battery.

Authorities say Hampton became angry as he left the club, prompting him to scream profanities at a woman blocking an exit with her vehicle. At one point, the rapper reportedly fired a shot from an AK-47-style pistol and wounded the woman as in the neck.

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Photos by Brandon Riddle

On Monday, Hampton's pregnant girlfriend testified that she would be able to act as a third-party custodian if Hampton was granted release and would turn him in if he acted out of court-sanctioned conditions.

The rapper's counsel, Nicole Lybrand, argued that Hampton, though previously convicted of two violent felony offenses, did not pose a threat nor did he appear to be a flight risk based on one failure to appear incident. Hampton surrendered to authorities the next day, his appointed attorney noted.

Meanwhile, the government contended that Hampton's history of violent behavior — either noted in reports, recorded on video or posted on social media — made it unlikely that he would refrain from such offenses as he awaited trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Mazzanti presented numerous postings to Hampton’s public social media accounts as evidence, arguing that his acts of violence went beyond an image he wanted to portray as Finese 2Tymes.

Kearney agreed, telling the court that the rapper had provided “heavy evidence” of his danger to the community.

Hampton, with his hands and feet cuffed, wore a multi-colored T-shirt with a large Michael Cherry clothing company logo covering much of the back as well as red shorts and blue tennis shoes.

Throughout Monday’s hearing, the rapper scoffed at several remarks uttered by lawyers and a federal agent who testified in court, at times shaking his head and placing his head on the table before him.

Hampton’s trial is currently scheduled for Aug. 21 before U.S. District Judge J. Leon Holmes.

Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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