The bowling alley where rapper Takeoff was shot and killed early Tuesday is a downtown Houston celeb magnet that’s being misrepresented as a “dangerous” place, according to the venue’s ex-manager.
Jonathan Rumpf, the former general manager of 810 Billiards & Bowling, tweeted a tribute to the late Migos rapper on Tuesday in which he defended the business. Rumpf is listed as the location’s general manager on LinkedIn, and multiple photos on his Instagram account show him at the franchise’s Myrtle Beach location.
“When I opened 810 Billiards and Bowling - Houston as the GM in November 2021 I wanted the venue to be an enjoyable place for everyone; including visiting music artists, athletes, and regular guests. It breaks my heart to see it associated with the Murder of musician ‘Takeoff,’” Rumpf wrote, adding that his “prayers” went out to the rapper’s family and that he hopes the shooting doesn’t affect “how people view downtown Houston” or the venue itself.
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Neither Rumpf, current Houston 810 manager Mark McGee, nor 810 CEO Michael Siniscalchi responded to multiple requests for comment from The Daily Beast.
810 Billiards & Bowling, located in a mall surrounded by skyscrapers and office buildings just a few minutes from City Hall, opened its Houston location on Nov. 26, 2021, according to the establishment’s Instagram page. It’s one of several branches of the South Carolina-based entertainment franchise.
An article published Monday on the online cuisine outlet Restaurant Dive described 810 Billiards & Bowling as a “mixed-use, upscale bowling concept” that first opened in North Myrtle Beach in 2015. More locations are expected to open later this year, the article states, including in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Greenville, South Carolina.
The bowling alley’s ritzy clientele, along with its desirable downtown location and interior shots showing private lanes flanked by black sofas for intimate gatherings, paint a much different picture from the establishment imagined by some social media speculators.
Some tweets have casted blame on Takeoff, a Grammy-nominated artist with multiple top 10 hits, for spending time in “the hood.”
“Sorry, but I’ve been to 810 Billiards & Bowling alley in downtown Houston and I know it’s not a black hood,” one person tweeted in response. “It’s downtown Houston FGS and it’s open to all whether black or white.”
Photos from the bowling alley’s social media profiles show that it had previously been patronized by a few famous faces.
“Actor and rapper Common came and hung out recently!” reads one post published on the bowling alley’s Facebook page on Sept. 28, along with two photos of the rapper smiling with employees.
“You never know who you’ll run into at 810 Houston! Jabari Smith Jr. from the Houston Rockets hung out with us last night,” reads another post from Sept. 13, which features a shot of the 19-year-old professional basketball player inside the space.
Takeoff, whose real name is Kirshnik Khari Ball, was shot dead outside the bowling alley after an altercation broke out involving a group of about 40 unidentified patrons and his uncle, Quavo. Together with rapper Offset, the three formed the chart-topping Atlanta rap trio Migos.
Videos from the scene published by TMZ show a man holding what appears to be a handgun as multiple parties exchange verbal jabs. Shots are heard, and a subsequent video shows Quavo and others gathered around Takeoff’s body, calling for help.
The Harris County Medical Examiner said Takeoff died of “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into arm,” according to multiple outlets. No arrests have been made, but the man seen holding a gun in the video is currently a person of interest, police say.
