Rapper Tay-K faces life in jail as he is convicted of murder after shooting photographer

A rapper has been convicted of for a second time after shooting a photographer.

Tay-K, whose real name is Taymor McIntyre, faces up to life in prison for killing Mark Anthony Saldivar, 23, who had asked the star if he could take pictures of him. A court heard McIntyre had already been been serving a 55-year sentence over a separate fatal shooting when, on the run, he murdered Mr Saldivar.

The musician rose to fame in the US and Canada with song The Race, released while on the run from police. It came 44th in the US Top 100 charts and has had more than 200 million views on .

But the song is littered with violent references, understood to be nods to the pursuit the 24-year-old celeb led officers after his first murder conviction. His second - which happened at a court in San Antonio, Texas, on Monday - concerned the shooting of Mr Saldivar, whom McIntyre had initially tried to rob.

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Authorities said McIntyre had picked up Mr Saldivar in a car in San Antonio after the snapper asked him if he could take photos outside a restaurant.

McIntyre’s attorneys had criticised the police investigation of the shooting, alleging the case relied too much on self-serving statements from witnesses in the car when the shooting happened.

John Hunter, one of McIntyre’s attorneys, told jurors during closing arguments last week: "Taymor McIntyre is not guilty of capital murder, murder, or manslaughter, and the reason for that is very simple. You have to do it right. You have to do the work. And this case clearly demonstrates the work wasn’t done."

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While the jury found McIntyre not guilty of capital murder, which would have meant a life sentence without the chance of parole, jurors convicted the young defendant of the lesser charge of murder.

McIntyre was also convicted in 2019 for the shooting death of 21-year-old Ethan Walker during a home invasion in 2016 in Mansfield, southeast of Fort Worth, Texas. McIntyre recorded “The Race" while he was on the run from authorities for the home invasion.

The rapper, who also released After You in 2018, was born in Long Beach, California. He began his music career as a member of the rap group Daytona Boyz in 2014, aged just 14, after dropping out of school.

His tune, The Race, has been remixed by numerous artists, including YBN Nahmir, Lil Yachty, Fetty Wap and Tyga. It has sold more than one million copies in the US alone, and approximately a further 40,000 in Canada.