American rap royalty 50 Cent (real name: Curtis James Jackson III) took to Twitter on July 26, stating his disbelief about the million-dollar armed robbery involving a controversial Brooklyn pastor and his wife.
Details Of The Tweet, Fans' Reactions
In a report by Bet.com, 50 Cent apparently posted a tweet immediately following the spread of the news about the daring robbery.
"Meanwhile back in New York, they robbing the church while it's in service. WTF," the rapper, artist, and businessman wrote.
The tweet contained a link to a footage of the incident, since the incident occurred as Bishop Lamor Whitehead was preaching to a live and online audience.
The rapper's followers weighed in on the former's tweet.
One follower said the incident "is wild," while another called it "crazy."
A follower doubted if the incident was real, calling it "staged." Another commenter said there is apparently "no honor amongst thieves."
Also Read: Amy Grant To Become Kennedy Center's First Contemporary Christian Artist Awardee This December
Daring Robbery
Whitehead was just roughly 10 minutes into his sermon when three armed men wearing ski masks barged into the church.
He is the founding and current pastor of Leaders of Tomorrow International Churches based in Brooklyn.
According to an NPR report, the robbers immediately pointed a gun at Whitehead, who quickly ducked to the floor and raised his arms.
One of the suspects rapidly removed the pastor's expensive jewelry items: a ring, his wedding band, and several chains.
Another suspect turned to Whitehead's wife and forcibly took her jewelry as well.
In total, the three suspects reportedly went away with more than $1 million worth of jewelry pieces, the article said.
'A Gift And A Curse'
In a video he posted in the aftermath of the robbery, Whitehead said that he considers his fame as a religious leader as both "a gift and a curse."
Back in May 2022, the Brooklyn pastor hugged the headlines when he figured in the surrender of Andrew Abdullah.
Abdullah was a suspect in a shooting incident that happened in the New York subway, the report revealed.
While his role as mediator in the surrender was reason enough for some public attention, his pricey outfit became the bigger talking points among people.
The NPR report noted that it was Whitehead's flashy look - a Fendi suit worth several thousand dollars and a Rolls-Royce that costs even more - that really caught the public's eye.
His expensive taste for things initially left a bad taste in the mouth of people, as they believed the pastor should have been living a modest life instead.
The same issue became more prominent following the incident.
Some asked whether religious leaders like Whitehead should be living luxuriously, to which the pastor vigorously defended himself.
"If I worked hard for it, I can purchase what I want to purchase," he explained.
Traumatizing Incident
Whitehead told reporters that members of his congregation, particularly those who witnessed the incident first-hand, were visibly traumatized by the experience.
CNN reported that the pastor has put up a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the suspects' arrest.
The report said that Whitehead vowed to implement measures to beef up their church security and to solicit help from a therapist for his members.
"I want justice, I want these men arrested," Whitehead told his Instagram followers.
Related Article: Robbers Take Over $1M Jewelry From Brooklyn Pastor, Wife During Church Service
