Pharrell Williams has canceled his Something In The Water Festival in Virginia, months after his cousin was fatally shot by police.
“I love my city, but for far too long it has been run by — and with toxic energy. The toxic energy that changed the narrative several times around the homicide of my cousin, [Donovon] Lynch, a citizen of Virginia, is the same toxic energy that changed the narrative around the mass murder and senseless loss of life at Building Number 2,” Pharrell wrote per The Virginia Pilot.
He added, “I wish the same energy I’ve felt from Virginia Beach leadership upon losing the festival would have been similarly channeled following the loss of my relative’s life.”
Lynch was shot by a Virginia Beach cop in March. His has been ruled a homicide. No criminal charges have been filed yet but a state grand jury investigation has been launched. Cops say they responded to the gunfire where an officer came into contact with Lynch in the 300 block of 20th Street. They claim that Pharrell’s cousin fired before they shot and killed him.