The tragic death of Snootie Wild over the weekend marked the second time in less than six months that a nationally known rapper from the city of Memphis had been gunned down in an untimely manner. Much like Young Dolph, Snootie Wild's life was also cut short at the age of 36-years-old. The controversial theories and scarce details surrounding this case have been circling news cycles all week but what had not been made clear were the feelings shared by the late rapper's immediate family members regarding the way in which he was murdered in Houston, Texas.

Snootie Wild's killers are still at large, so today his family members released a declaration as a special way to honor their fallen kin and to call for the Houston Police Department to intensify their efforts. In an official statement, his family wrote:

“We are devastated by the untimely passing of our beloved LePreston Porter, known to the world as gold-selling and Billboard charting Hip Hop recording artist Snootie Wild.

He meant the world to us. A son, loving boyfriend, brother to four sisters, a father of seven, and a nephew and cousin to a host of others, he held many roles within our family and was a big kid at heart. LePreston was a beautiful, compassionate and talented soul whose presence was ever felt within our family.

A son of Memphis, TN who loved his city, Snootie was a man of the people and dearly loved creating music, and performing fun, high-energy live shows that brought all types of Hip Hop lovers together with his music. His fans were part of his family. So much so that he didn’t like to look down from the stage and would frequently join the crowd. Any city that he visited, he frequently ventured out to underserved areas to connect with the people.

We are grateful for the outpouring of love as we endure the overwhelming pain of his life being unjustly taken away from his family and the world entirely too soon.

Though we ask for privacy at this time, we invite you to join us in not only remembering him and his music but also supporting our pursuit for answers and a thorough investigation by the Houston, TX police department that will bring his killers to justice.”

Scroll up to view the official statement from Snootie Wild's family.