Texas rapper Tay-K, born Taymor McIntyre, has been sentenced to years in prison after being found guilty of murder in the shooting death of photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar. The verdict comes nearly eight years after the incident, which unfolded during a planned photo shoot that turned violent outside a San Antonio Chick-fil-A.
According to court testimony, Saldivar, 2, was picked up by Tay-K and his associates for what was supposed to be a professional engagement. Instead, prosecutors say the meeting escalated into a robbery, ending with Saldivar being fatally shot following a struggle in and around the group’s vehicle. Eyewitnesses described hearing gunshots and screams, with one witness recalling the chaos as Saldivar was pushed from the car and tried to escape.
Tay-K, now, was already serving a 55-year sentence for his role in a home invasion that resulted in another death. He gained national notoriety for his viral hit “The Race,” released while he was on the run from authorities. The latest conviction marks his second murder verdict, but the jury acquitted him of capital murder, sparing him a life sentence without parole.
The sentencing closes a tumultuous chapter for Tay-K, whose brief music career was overshadowed by his criminal cases. The court’s decision leaves little doubt about his future: decades behind bars, with parole only a distant possibility.
