Tooka was an American teenager who was shot and killed while waiting at a Chicago bus stop on the 12th of January 2011. As he was born on the 10th of August 1995, Tooka, whose real name was Shondale Gregory, died at the age of 15. It is believed that he was a member of a Chicago gang called Gangster Disciple and was murdered by a rival gang known as Black Disciples to avenge the death of another gang member, Eddrick “TY” Walker.
Tooka is now a street word for potent marijuana and has been used in the lyrics of several hip-hop artists. The nickname of the late American teenager took on that meaning after he was killed. Initially, people said “Tooka got smoked” to mean that Tooka was brutally murdered, but soon enough, “smoking Tooka” became a phrase used to describe smoking potent weed.
Tooka’s Bio
- AGE at Death: 15 years old
- BIRTHDAY: August 10, 1995
- Died: January 12, 2011 (age 15)
- BIRTHPLACE: Chicago Heights, Cook County, Illinois, USA
- BIRTH SIGN: Leo
- ETHNICITY: African American
- MOTHER: Dominique Boyd
What was Tooka’s Real Name?
Tooka’s real name was Shondale Gregory, and he was an American teenager from Chicago Heights, which is located in Cook County, Illinois. He is one of the many American teens who have lost their lives to gang-related violence in the country. Tooka was a regular bloke, but his name has been popularized since he died. It is hard to tell what his nickname meant to him, but in the streets, Tooka now refers to potent marijuana.
From what we gathered, people began making fun of Tooka after he was murdered, saying he was “smoked”. Then “smoked like Tooka” became a common phrase that meant being gruesomely murdered. With time, the word morphed to mean smoking potent weed, and that’s that.
From our findings, Chief Keef was the first hip-hop artist to use “Tooka” in his song. Shondale Gregory’s nickname was used in his songs like “John Madden” and “3Hunna”. Later, other artists like King Von and Lil Durk used it as well in their songs. While some of these artists know the word’s origin, others, especially those not from Chicago, are unaware of its origin. For them, it is only the street slang for marijuana.
Tooka’s mother, Dominique Boyd, recently called out hip-hop artists for disrespecting her son in death. Speaking to Say Cheese in a 2022 interview, Boyd demanded to know why these artists continue to disrespect her son even though he has been dead since 2011. She disclosed that her son had nothing to do with hip-hop, adding that those who name-drop him in their songs know nothing about him.
How Old Was Tooka When He Died?
Tooka was 15 years old when he was killed. According to records, he was born on the 10th of August 1995. Tooka was a citizen of the United States of America and belonged to the African-American ethnic group. Apart from these facts, it is hard to tell anything else about his family background and early life.
However, we know he was born to an African-American woman named Dominique Boyd. It is hard to tell if Tooka had siblings, and the identity of his father is yet to be confirmed. As claimed in some quarters, his father was murdered as well eight years after Tooka’s death. This report has not been meaningfully confirmed.
When Did Tooka Die?
Tooka died on the 12th of January 2011. As stated earlier, he died at the age of 15. The Chicago native, whose name has been popularized in death by hip-hop artists, died from the wounds he sustained after he was shot multiple times.
On that fateful day, the late teenager was waiting at a Chicago bus stop where he met his untimely death. While waiting at the bus stop, a car pulled over and stopped in front of Tooka, who probably didn’t realize that was the last moment of his life.
Someone dropped from the passenger seat of the car and exchanged a few words with Tooka. Whoever the passenger was shot Tooka multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting.
What Did Tooka Do To Get Killed?
According to reports, Tooka’s death was a result of gang-related violence. It has been widely reported that he was one of the many deaths recorded as a result of the rivalry between the Black Disciples and Gangster Disciples. These gangs have troubled Chicago Heights for decades, and it is said that it was Chief Keef’s faction of the Black Disciples gang that gunned Tooka down.
As widely believed, Tooka was shot to retaliate the death of another gang member, Eddrick “TY” Walker. TY was said to be a member of the Black Disciples, he was reportedly murdered on the 21st of May 2009. The Black Disciples believed members of the Gangster Disciples killed him.
That being said, it is imperative to point out that authorities have yet to figure out the exact motive behind Tooka’s murder. But given that he has been dead since 2011, one might as well conclude that they have come to accept that Tooka’s murder was a retaliation for the murder of a Black Disciples gang member.
Who Killed Tooka?
Some reports have it that it was Odee Perry who killed Tooka. The late Odee Perry was an American rapper and gangster who was a member of the Black Disciples Gang. He was gunned down in August 2011, about seven months after Tooka was killed.
He was reportedly killed by Gakirah Barnes, a teenage female member of the Gangster Disciples who had vowed to get revenge for the killing of her close pal, Tooka. It should be stressed that no one was ever charged in connection with Tooka’s death, and as such, there is no confirmation of the widespread claim that it was Odee Perry who killed Tooka.
How Did Tooka Die?
Tooka died of multiple gunshot wounds sustained during a shooting on the 12th of January 2011. On the day he died, Tooka and two of his pals were waiting at a bus stand for the westbound 63rd Street bus when the gunman walked up to them and made some inquiries about whether another bus was coming.
The gunman later went behind the bus shelter and, from there, shot Tooka once with a handgun. Tooka tried to stagger away, but the assailant followed him there and shot him three more times in the back. He was already dead by the time that emergency services arrived on the scene.
What Gang Was Tooka in?
Tooka was a member of the Gangster Disciples. After his death, his gang reportedly killed another member of the Black Disciples gang, a 20-year-old named Odee Perry. To be precise, it was suspected that Odee was murdered by Gakirah Barnes, who was said to be Tooka’s closest friend.
Barnes was described in the media as one of the most notorious gang members in US history. As culled from a 2014 report, she joined the gang Tooka belonged to during her teenage years. The gang was known variously as the Fly Boy Gang and the St. Lawrence Boys. Following Tooka’s death in January 2011, the gang decided to memorialize him. So they went by the name Tooka Gang and started calling their hood Tookaville. In addition to that, Gakirah Barnes changed her name to Tookaville’kirah on Facebook.
Barnes was shot and killed in April 2014; she was only 17 years old at the time. In July 2021, the Chicago police released documents that concluded King Von murdered her. Von himself died on the 6th of November 2020 after he was shot multiple times. He was 26 years old.
FAQs
Who Was Tooka?
Tooka was an American young man from Chicago who was gunned down by gangsters on the 11th of January 2011. It is believed that Tooka was also a gang member and belonged to Gangster Disciples.
What Does Tooka Mean?
Tooka means potent marijuana. The term has been used by several rappers in their songs
What Did Tooka Do?
Tooka was a gang member during his lifetime, and it is believed that his killing was by a rival gang known as the Black Disciples.
How Many Times Was Tooka Shot?
Tooka was shot four times and was dead by the time that emergency services arrived at the scene of the shooting.
Did King Von Kill Tooka?
King Von did not kill Tooka. It is believed that a Black Disciples’ Gang named Odee Perry killed Tooka; however, nobody has ever been charged in connection with his death.