The mystery of O'Block and the South Side of Chicago didn't start with a viral tweet, but it sure lives there now. If you’ve spent any time on drill music forums or True Crime YouTube, you’ve seen the name Giana "K.I." Kirton. You’ve also definitely seen the name Dayvon Bennett, known to the world as King Von. The question of whether or not King Von killed KI isn't just a piece of internet gossip; it’s a central pillar of the grim mythology surrounding the Chicago drill scene.
People want to know. They want the gore, the "street credit," and the closure. But when you look at the actual police documents, the grainy surveillance footage, and the shifting stories from the neighborhood, the answer is a lot more complicated than a simple "yes" or "no." Honestly, the reality of what happened on April 11, 2014, tells a much larger story about a cycle of violence that swallowed two young people before they ever really had a chance to grow up.
The Day Everything Changed: April 11, 2014
It was a Friday afternoon. 17-year-old Giana Kirton was standing on a porch in the 6400 block of South Eberhart Avenue. In that neighborhood, everyone knew her. She wasn't just another teenager; she was "KI," a feared figure from the STL/EBT faction of the Gangster Disciples. She was rumored to have multiple "bodies" to her name, a reputation she often leaned into on social media.
Then the shots rang out.
A lone gunman approached and opened fire. KI was hit multiple times, including a fatal wound to the chest. Two other males were also shot but survived. For years, the streets whispered that Von was the one who pulled the trigger. Why? Because the rivalry between Von’s set (Wic City/O'Block) and KI’s set was blood-soaked and personal.
What the Police Records Actually Say
In 2021, the Chicago Police Department released a massive trove of documents following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. This is where things get really intense. These documents explicitly state that witnesses identified King Von as the shooter.
Wait.
If the police had witnesses who pointed at Von, why wasn't he charged? It's a question that drives fans crazy. According to the unsealed records, multiple witnesses viewed a photo lineup and picked out Bennett. One witness even told detectives they saw Von "standing over" KI, finishing the job. However, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office ultimately decided there wasn't enough evidence to bring the case to trial. They cited "witnesses who would not be able to testify in court" or a lack of physical evidence that would hold up under a high burden of proof.
Basically, the police "knew," but they couldn't prove it in a way that would land a conviction. In the legal world, that makes him "the offender," but not a convicted murderer for this specific crime.
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The Social Media War and the "Assassin" Label
You can't talk about King Von and KI without talking about Twitter. Back in 2014, the beef wasn't just on the corners; it was digital. KI and Von used to go back and forth in the most surreal way possible. They would "troll" each other, sometimes even flirting in a dark, twisted way that only people living in a war zone can understand.
One famous interaction involved Von telling KI she "looked good" in a photo, to which she replied with a threat. It was a cat-and-mouse game.
When Von became a superstar under Lil Durk’s Only The Family (OTF) label, he didn't stop referencing his past. His lyrics were littered with "Easter eggs." In songs like "War Wit Us" and "Wait," fans looked for every possible clue. They dissected his verses like they were decoding the Zodiac letters. While he never explicitly said "I killed KI" in a song—that would be legal suicide—his posturing and the way he spoke about "taking out" rivals made it clear he wanted people to believe the rumors.
The Problem With the "Body Count" Obsession
There is a weird, almost parasitic way that the internet treats Chicago violence. Fans create "scoreboards." They argue about who has more "points." This dehumanization is exactly why the KI story is so popular.
KI was a girl who lost her father to gun violence at a young age. She was a straight-A student at one point. She was also someone who took up a gun to protect her friends and seek revenge. King Von was a charismatic, talented rapper who spent a massive chunk of his life behind bars before becoming a millionaire.
When we ask "did King Von kill KI," we are looking at the collision of two people who were products of an environment that offered them almost nothing but a funeral or a jail cell.
The Witness Problem and Street Silence
In Chicago, "snitching" isn't just a social taboo; it's a death sentence. This is the primary reason the KI case remained "cleared but not prosecuted."
Think about it from the perspective of a witness. You live in a three-block radius where everyone knows your mother, your siblings, and where you sleep. If you testify against a high-ranking member of a set, the police aren't going to stay in your living room to protect you. They take your statement and leave.
The FOIA documents show that people talked behind closed doors. They pointed fingers when the lights were low. But the moment a lawyer asked, "Will you say this in front of a jury?" the room went cold.
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Was there anyone else?
Some theorists point toward other O'Block members. Names like Big A (who was later killed himself) have been floated. The streets are never a monolith. While the police records focus heavily on Von, the chaos of a shooting often makes identification difficult. However, the lead detective on the case seemed convinced. The report explicitly named Dayvon Bennett as the shooter.
The Legend vs. The Reality
King Von’s death in Atlanta in November 2020 only fueled the fire. Once he was gone, he became a larger-than-life figure. The "Demon of O'Block." To his fans, the KI story added to his aura of being "authentic." To his detractors, it was proof he was a menace who shouldn't have been celebrated.
But we have to look at the evidence objectively:
- Identification: Multiple witnesses picked King Von out of a lineup.
- Motive: Longstanding gang war and personal beef.
- Proximity: Von was known to be in the area at the time.
- Police Status: The case was officially closed by CPD, naming Von as the offender.
Even with all that, without a confession or a conviction, there will always be a sliver of doubt for some. That’s the nature of the "cold case" reality in inner cities.
Why This Case Still Matters in 2026
The reason people are still typing "did king von kill ki" into search bars is that it represents the peak of the drill era. It’s the intersection of real-life tragedy and entertainment.
We see a young woman, KI, who was nicknamed the "Teen Assassin." We see a young man, Von, who became the face of a subgenre. Their lives were intertwined by a bullet, and their legacies are now inseparable.
If you’re looking for a smoking gun, the CPD FOIA files are as close as you’re ever going to get. They don't mince words. They name him. They detail the movements. They recount the witness statements.
Moving Forward: What to Do With This Information
If you are someone who follows the Chicago scene, the best way to process this isn't by picking sides or "rooting" for a scoreboard. It’s by understanding the gravity of the loss.
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- Read the actual documents: Don't rely on a TikTok summary. Look up the FOIA releases regarding the Giana Kirton case. It’s a dry, haunting read that strips away the glamour of the music.
- Recognize the cycle: Both Von and KI were victims of their surroundings long before they were perpetrators.
- Support local initiatives: If you care about the people in these stories, look into Chicago-based organizations like CREW (Chicago Rangers Education and Wellness) or Sons of the South Side that work to break the cycle of violence.
The story of King Von and KI is a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, played out on the concrete of the South Side. The evidence points overwhelmingly to one conclusion, but the lack of a legal verdict means the debate will likely outlive us all.
To really understand the situation, you have to look past the lyrics. You have to look at the court records, the witness statements, and the quiet reality that behind every "drill legend," there is a family left picking up the pieces.
Next Steps for Deep Research:
- Search for the "CPD Case Supplementary Report" for Giana Kirton (RD# HX218659). This is the primary source of the witness identifications.
- Watch the documentary "Trapped in the Closet" (the Chicago drill documentary, not the song) to see the environmental factors that shaped O'Block.
- Cross-reference the timelines of Von's various incarcerations between 2012 and 2017 to see how often he was actually on the street during these pivotal moments in the gang war.