Two men injured during a high-profile shooting outside a West Hollywood party in 2022 are now seeking a $10.6 million default judgment against rapper Kodak Black, alleging he instigated the altercation that led to the gunfire. The plaintiffs, Adam Rahman and Mark Schaefer, were bystanders caught in the crossfire outside The Nice Guy restaurant during a Justin Bieber-hosted afterparty the night before Super Bowl LVI.

At a hearing held Wednesday in Los Angeles, Judge Tiana J. Murillo canceled the scheduled August 18 trial after being informed that Kodak Black, born Dieuson Octave, is the only remaining defendant and has not formally responded to the civil suit. The plaintiffs’ attorney argued that Octave should be held in default for failing to participate in the proceedings.

This is not the first time Rahman and Schaefer have sought a default ruling. Their initial request in November 2023 asked for $62 million in damages but was denied due to insufficient documentation supporting their claims. A revised request for $10.6 million was also rejected last month, with the court requiring more comprehensive proof of damages, such as medical records and detailed evidence of suffering. The judge has now granted the plaintiffs until August 25 to submit a new motion meeting the court’s evidentiary standards.

In statements submitted to the court, both men claimed to have witnessed Octave initiate the confrontation that led to the shooting. “I witnessed Kodak Black initiate the altercation with patrons outside of the subject location,” Rahman wrote in an April declaration. Schaefer echoed the allegation, asserting he also saw the rapper provoke the conflict moments before shots were fired.

Kodak Black’s legal team, however, disputes both the substance of the allegations and the legitimacy of the lawsuit’s service. His longtime attorney, Bradford Cohen, told Rolling Stone that Octave was never properly notified of the lawsuit and that his client should not be held liable. “Kodak has never been served with any lawsuit from California. He was never on notice of anything,” Cohen said, adding that the address where the lawsuit was mailed is not owned by or registered to Octave. “He does not live with his mother, and he doesn’t own that house.”

According to court filings, the plaintiffs’ private investigator reportedly served the complaint to Octave’s mother at a gated residence and later mailed documents to another address allegedly connected to the rapper. Cohen maintains that neither method constitutes proper service.

The civil lawsuit originally named several parties, including Justin Bieber and the owners of The Nice Guy. However, the judge dismissed the corporate defendants in June 2024, ruling the shooting was not foreseeable. Bieber was voluntarily removed as a defendant by the plaintiffs shortly afterward. The shooting occurred on February 12, 2022, and made national headlines due to the star-studded guest list. Bieber had hosted a private concert earlier that evening at the Pacific Design Center, with the afterparty drawing high-profile attendees like Drake, Lil Baby, Gunna, Khloe Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, and Tobey Maguire.

At approximately 2:45 a.m., chaos erupted outside the venue when a physical altercation broke out, followed by a flurry of gunfire. Kodak Black was struck in the leg and transported to a nearby hospital. Rahman suffered a gunshot wound to the left shoulder, while Schaefer was hit above the ankle and required emergency surgery and physical therapy. Despite the public nature of the incident and the presence of surveillance footage, no arrests were made.

As the court reviews the plaintiffs’ renewed default judgment request, the case highlights the murky legal territory that can follow high-profile acts of violence, particularly when determining liability amid conflicting accounts and incomplete cooperation.