The date of October 26, 2025, is now etched into the tragic timeline of Chicago’s drill scene, marked not by a new hit record but by the brutal conclusion of a long-fought life. Devinci Bezu Collier, better known as THF Zoo, a 35-year-old cornerstone of the scene and a fiercely loyal affiliate of Lil Durk’s Only the Family (OTF) collective, was killed in a shocking ambush that has once again ripped through the heart of the city’s music and street cultures.

Zoo’s death was more than just another tragic statistic; it was an act of brutal, calculated finality that underscored the devastating consequences of a world where online “trolling” and street reputation converge with lethal precision. It also delivered a heartbreaking blow to Lil Durk, who, while navigating his own federal legal battles, must now cope with the loss of a brother whose death occurred on a date that now carries an agonizing weight of loyalty and finality.

The Military-Grade Ambush in Unfamiliar Territory

The fatal shooting occurred at approximately 3:00 a.m. in the 3100 block of South St. Louis Avenue, an area deep within Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. This location, a predominantly Mexican-American community historically dominated by Latin gang activity, stood in stark contrast to Zoo’s usual stomping grounds of Englewood and Taytown on the South Side. This geographical anomaly is a critical detail in the ongoing investigation, suggesting the attack was not a random act of violence but a carefully planned ambush.

Eyewitness accounts and Chicago Police Department scanner reports paint a picture of overwhelming, almost military-grade precision. Zoo, who was one of three men targeted while congregating in a parking lot, was hit by a barrage of bullets unleashed from an unknown vehicle. Investigators recovered a staggering 39 pieces of ballistic evidence from the crime scene, including 20 high-velocity rifle casings and 19 9mm casings.

The mix of ammunition and the sheer volume of rounds fired from multiple angles strongly indicate a coordinated attack by multiple assailants intent on ensuring their target would not survive. Five vehicles were riddled with bullets in the vicinity, but forensic evidence confirmed Zoo sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and abdomen, a concentration of injuries suggesting he was the specific, primary target of the initial volley.

Emergency medical personnel fought desperately to stabilize him, but the wounds were too severe. Zoo was pronounced dead hours later, adding his name to the ever-lengthening list of Chicago drill figures—including the iconic King Von—whose lives have been claimed by the relentless cycle of violence that they documented in their music. The decision to lure or ambush Zoo in the unfamiliar territory of Little Village, far from his established networks of lookouts and allies, speaks to the high level of planning and coordination employed by his assailants.

The Blood-Forged Brotherhood of OTF

To understand the emotional magnitude of this loss, one must grasp the profound nature of the relationship between THF Zoo and Lil Durk. Their affiliation was not a manufactured label arrangement but a blood-forged brotherhood rooted in the poverty-stricken streets of Englewood, the shared membership in the Taytown Hustlers Family (THF) subset of the Black Disciples gang, and the mutual struggle for survival.

Zoo’s connection to Durk predates the latter’s mainstream breakout. While Durk became the national face of Chicago drill, Zoo remained the core street member, his credibility unquestioned, his scars—from surviving multiple previous shooting attempts, including documented incidents in 2022—serving as proof of his authentic, lived experience. As one anonymous affiliate noted, “Bezu was before [OTF] was a label. That’s family, not just a feature.”

Zoo, who was an older brother figure to fellow Chicago rappers Guda and Muki, served as a mentor who navigated his musical pursuits with unflinching honesty about his street life. His official relationship with OTF positioned him as a frequent collaborator on compilation projects, including the 2019 release Family Over Everything. His verses, such as those on the 2023 project Nightmares in the Trenches, were raw, uncompromising narratives documenting the psychological toll of constant vigilance and the loss that defined his existence.

Their bond was further solidified by shared experiences of incarceration. Zoo’s own legal history included a critical juncture in 2014 when he was arrested at Durk’s residence on murder charges—a case he ultimately beat. Discussing the time spent inside, he once explained how fighting for freedom together created a bond that went beyond any professional contract, stating that members “ended up laying on the deck with each other, living with each other.” This level of loyalty, tested by violence and the legal system, meant that Zoo was irreplaceable—he was family in the truest, most dangerous sense of the Chicago street code.

The Haunting Anniversary: Zoo’s Final Words of Loyalty

The most heartbreaking detail surrounding THF Zoo’s death is the tragic synchronicity of the date itself. He was killed on October 26, 2025. Exactly one year prior, on October 26, 2024, Zoo had posted his most recent public defense of Lil Durk via an Instagram story, following Durk’s federal arrest on controversial murder-for-hire charges.

That post was a fierce public declaration of loyalty, directly challenging the media narratives that painted Durk as a criminal mastermind. Zoo had written: “Social media fake fans bloggers etc know how to give unproven titles to po… Y’all paint false images then act shocked when shit t don’t add up. Free the real.”

This final public act of brotherhood, occurring precisely 12 months before his own violent death, now reads as a haunting, unintended farewell. While the video title promises Zoo’s “final words,” the devastating reality is that his most potent and lasting communication to Lil Durk was this public, fearless show of support.

The true “emotional reaction” Lil Durk received was not a deathbed confession or a new piece of information, but the deafening silence that followed the ambush—a silence amplified by the knowledge that the man who fiercely defended him on that same day one year prior was now gone. This timing has not gone unnoticed by fans and observers, who view it as either a tragic coincidence or, more ominously, a possible indication that his high-profile loyalty during Durk’s legal crisis marked him as an even more legitimate, symbolic target for rivals.

The Unending Cycle: Speculation and Vicious Retaliation

As the Chicago Police Department’s Area 4 detectives struggle with the overwhelming backlog of gang-related homicides in the city, the void left by an official motive has been quickly filled by a torrent of unverified social media speculation and street reports. This digital speculation is itself a crucial element of the modern drill conflict, where rumors propagate at lightning speed, becoming accepted as fact and often fueling the next act of retaliation.

The most prominent street theory involves a complex and vicious chain of retaliatory killings stemming from a feud with the Bashville Crazy Black Disciples faction. This unverified narrative suggests Zoo’s death was payback for the killing of a rival named “Man,” who was allegedly shot after an earlier incident involving a stolen item. By targeting a high-profile THF figure like Zoo, the rival faction allegedly sought to send a definitive message about consequences and capability.

Other theories point to broader, long-simmering rivalries. Zoo’s defense of Durk in 2024, whose federal charges stemmed from the alleged 2022 killing of Quando Rondo’s cousin, Lu Pab, potentially escalated online beefs and made Zoo a target for those aligned against OTF.

A more insidious speculation suggests that Durk’s federal incarceration—the very reason Zoo posted his public defense—created a profound vulnerability for his crew. The notion that Durk “really was the one protecting and feeding these guys” implies that his absence invited opportunistic attacks from rivals like STL/EBT or other BD factions, exploiting a temporary weakness in the OTF support system.

All of these theories share a common thread: they illustrate the impossible feedback loop created by drill culture, where musical expression and online taunts—Zoo was a self-proclaimed “troll”—document, amplify, and ultimately justify real-world violence. Every diss track, every taunt, and every post of loyalty adds a layer to the armor, while simultaneously painting a larger target on the back.

For the Chicago drill scene, the loss of THF Zoo is a devastating reminder that in the trenches, family loyalty is a commodity more valuable than fame, and often, more fatal. As the investigation continues, the only certainty is that his death will not be the end of the story, but merely the latest chapter in a perpetual cycle of violence and vengeance that promises to consume more lives before it is finally broken. The legacy of THF Zoo is not just his music or his street reputation, but the tragic, haunting monument of his final, ultimate act of brotherhood.