Credit: Key Vhani

Miami rapper Key Vhani has claimed she acted in self-defence when fatally shooting her manager’s friend.

29-year-old Kevhani Camilla Hicks was charged with second-degree murder following the death of Demitrie Harris in October 2023.

According to the Miami Herald, Vhani has claimed that the incident was self-defence because the two men attacked and threatened her.

She cited Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, which allows someone to take deadly action if they feel that their life is threatened. The filing claims that in a car ride to Wynwood Walls, Harris became “increasingly hostile” and made sexual advances to Vhani.

Upon arrival, Vhani allegedly went to grab her purse from the boot, but her manager, Nathan Smith, refused to open it. Documents allege that Smith then opened the boot and hit Vhani in the chest before grabbing her throat and slamming her into the car and onto the floor.

From there, Harris allegedly got out of the car and pinned Vhani down by her arms. After Smith pulled Harris off Vhani, she allegedly made a getaway.

When Harris allegedly said, “Keep talking that shit, I’ll kill you with one shot,” Vhani pulled out her gun and fired bullets. The rapper fired “single controlled shots without emptying her weapon until she was sure the threat was neutralised,” striking him three times.

In a filing, her lawyer, Marissa Altman-Glatze, said, “Ultimately, the objective physical evidence, witness testimony, and contemporaneous admissions, demonstrate that [Vhani’s] actions were not criminal conduct, but a necessary act of survival.”

A hearing on the motion is set for August 31st. If unsuccessful, the trial will begin on September 14th.

Vhani has over 23,000 Instagram followers, and is known for songs like ‘Brave Heart’ and ‘Fans’.