A deadly clash between rival Blood gang factions erupted Friday evening at Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York, leaving one inmate dead and another hospitalized, state police confirmed Saturday. The victim, identified by prison sources as a high-ranking Blood set member known on the streets as “High Money,” was killed during a yard altercation shortly before 7 p. m.
A second inmate sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at Erie County Medical Center. The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Office of Special Investigations is assisting the state police with the case, officials said.
The violence unfolded in the prison’s recreation yard, where preliminary investigations indicate two groups of inmates clashed. Police have not released the names of the deceased or the injured, but a widely circulated social media report from a channel that regularly covers prison incidents identified the dead man as High Money, a long-time Blood affiliate from Brooklyn. The same source claimed that seven inmates were involved in the melee, with High Money fatally attacked by a member of a rival Blood set known as “Young W.”
The report said the victim had been serving a life sentence or at least 40 years.
Rapper Casanova, whose legal name is Caswell Senior, and fellow rap artist Taxstone, born Daryl Campbell, were reportedly housed in the same unit as High Money. The social media account claimed Casanova and Taxstone were the victim’s cellmates and had witnessed the attack. Both are well-known figures in the New York drill scene and have been incarcerated on federal charges.
Casanova was convicted in 2022 for racketeering and conspiracy related to his membership in the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods. Taxstone is awaiting trial for a fatal shooting at the T. I.
concert in 2016. Neither has been charged in the Friday incident.
According to the unverified social media report, High Money had recently attempted to distance himself from gang activity after turning 40, spending his time in the prison library to work on his legal appeals. “Homeboy was trying to go to the low library and fight his case to get another chance, make it back out in society,” the narrator said. The report described the victim as a “well-respected blazer” who had put in relentless work for his set but had begun to slow down his gang involvement.
The attack allegedly came as a surprise to other inmates who respected his efforts to reform.
The incident has raised concerns about safety inside Attica, one of the most notorious maximum-security prisons in the United States. With a history of violent riots and guard 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮 scandals, the facility holds some of the state’s most dangerous offenders. State police say they are reviewing security footage and interviewing witnesses.
The Office of Special Investigations is expected to release a preliminary report within days. No staff members were injured in the altercation, officials confirmed.
The social media account, which often claims inside knowledge from “the G wall and contacts with the other schmundom,” urged viewers to “rest up” the fallen soldier. The narrator, identified as OG Product, offered condolences to the family and friends of High Money. “Boom in heaven, BIP boom in paradise to the fallen soldier,” he said, using prison slang for Bloods.
The authenticity of the account’s claims could not be independently verified, but it has previously provided accurate details on other prison homicides.
The second injured inmate is expected to survive and remains under medical supervision. Police have not disclosed his identity or the nature of his injuries, only stating they were non-life-threatening. The investigation remains active, with state police urging anyone with information to come forward.
Additional security measures have been implemented at Attica lockdowns and increased patrols to prevent further violence.
This incident marks the latest in a series of gang-related killings within the New York prison system. In 2022, a Bloods member was stabbed to death at the same facility, and there have been multiple assaults involving rival sets. The state Corrections Department has faced criticism for overcrowding and understaffing, which advocates argue fuels prisoner violence.
Friday’s death is likely to reignite calls for reform and tighter security measures inside maximum-security prisons.
Casanova and Taxstone have not issued statements regarding the incident. Their legal representatives could not be reached for comment. The rappers are both known for their affiliations with the Bloods and have been named in multiple court documents as high-ranking members.
Their presence in Attica has drawn significant attention from law enforcement and the media. It remains unclear if they were directly involved in the altercation or if they are now under protective custody.
As the investigation continues, family members of the deceased are being notified. The state police have scheduled a press conference for later this week to provide updates. The name of the dead inmate will be released after next-of-kin are informed.
Meanwhile, officials are working to reconstruct the events that led to the fatal confrontation. The yard where the fight took place has been cordoned off as a crime scene, and surveillance footage is being reviewed frame by frame.
The social media narrative also mentioned that the altercation was not random but a “put in some work” operation, suggesting it was a planned attack. The YouTube channel claimed that High Money was “sliced and diced into pieces,” though no official autopsy report has been released to confirm the manner of death. The level of violence described underscores the brutal reality of prison gang conflicts, where debts and grudges are settled with makeshift weapons.
The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision issued a brief statement: “An inmate at Attica Correctional Facility died after a physical altercation between two groups of inmates. The incident is under investigation. Our thoughts are with the families of the individuals involved.
We are cooperating fully with state police.” No further details were provided, citing the ongoing probe.
This breaking story will be updated as more information becomes available. The death toll in state prisons this year continues to rise, with advocates demanding independent oversight of violent incidents. For now, inside the walls of Attica, tensions remain high.
The Bloods, one of the most powerful prison gangs, may now face internal reckoning after losing a veteran soldier. And the rivalry that claimed High Money’s life suggests that the war between Blood sets, even behind bars, remains far from over.
