Slain Brooklyn rapper Notorious B.I.G. was killed by a single bullet that ripped through his liver, heart and left lung in a 1997 drive-by shooting that remains unsolved, a long-sealed autopsy report released Friday shows.
The legendary rapper, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, suffered four gunshot wounds in total, but the others caused “nonfatal” injuries to his left forearm, back and left thigh close to his groin, the report from the Los Angeles County coroner states.
Wallace, 24, was “severely obese” when he died, weighing 395 pounds, and had no alcohol or drugs in his system, the report says.
Los Angeles police released the report as “an investigative strategy,” a decision that surprised Wallace’s family.
“It’s really a slap in the face to not be kept even remotely in the loop about something like this coming out,” family lawyer Perry Sanders told the Daily News. “Nobody got called. It’s offensive.”
He said he spoke to Wallace’s wife, Faith Evans, Friday after she spoke to Wallace’s mom, Voletta.
Wallace’s daughter, T’yanna, tweeted, “I was dreading this.”
Two bullets were recovered from Wallace’s hospital gurney, the report states.
The influential artist from Clinton Hill had just left a music industry event when he was shot in the passenger seat of a Chevy Suburban by an assailant reportedly wearing a bow tie. Files the FBI released in 2011 revealed “very rare” metal-piercing German ammunition was used.
-With Michael Feeney
ndillon@nydailynews.com
