Rapper Dolla is shot, killed at Beverly Center

The LAPD has not released a narrative of what happened in the mall garage.

But Vannasing said Burton apparently had a dispute with some people, perhaps at the airport.

"They followed him to the mall because they knew he was coming," Vannasing said. She added that Burton was at the mall with another rapper, D.J. Shabbazz.

Police officials said they could not confirm or deny that account.

Burton was born in Chicago in 1988 and moved with his family to the Los Angeles area and then to Atlanta, according to a biography on his MySpace.com page. The biography said he witnessed his father commit suicide at age 5 and turned to crime to support his family at 10. He began rapping at 12 and formed a group called Da Razkals Cru, according to the biography.

The group impressed rappers P. Diddy and Missy Elliot. They signed a record contract in 2001. But within two years, Burton -- who was modeling for P. Diddy's clothing line, Sean John -- began a solo career. A song of his was included on the soundtrack for the 2006 dance movie "Step Up."

The shooting rattled shoppers and diners. At a Chipotle restaurant near the valet area, 10 people were eating when the shots rang out.

"The customers were yelling, 'Close the store, close the store, because somebody is shooting!' " said Elsa Hernandez, general manager of the restaurant.

The center is normally quite peaceful, said Hernandez, who has worked at the restaurant for six years.

"This is the first time this has happened here," she said.

Newton Cacho, 31, who works across the street from the Beverly Center, was stunned by the violence.

"I'm very surprised something like this happened here. You come to a nicer part of town and you don't expect this," Cacho said.

Del Vaughn Walker, 44, had just left his car with valets and was heading to P.F. Chang's for lunch when he walked by a woman and three men, one of whom was Burton.

There was no sign of an argument. But moments later he heard two gunshots, then three more. He ducked and ran into the restaurant.

"I never would have expected this," he said. "You would have expected some kind of verbal confrontation."

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sam.quinones@latimes.com

ron.lin@latimes.com

andrew.blankstein@latimes.com

Times staff writers Richard Winton and Alexandra Zavis contributed to this report.