South African rapper AKA was shot and killed outside a restaurant.

Kiernan Forbes, known as AKA, one of South Africa’s hottest rap artists, was shot dead outside a restaurant in the southeastern city of Durban, his family said Saturday.

The 35-year-old won several South African awards, was nominated for a Black Entertainment Television (BET) Award in the United States several times, and was nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award once.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved son,” his parents, Tony and Lynn Forbes, said in a statement posted on AKA’s Twitter account. “Our son was loved, and he loved back.”

On Friday night, he and another man were gunned down as they walked from a restaurant to their car.

“Two armed suspects allegedly approached them from across the street and shot the victims at close range,” police said in a statement.

The shooting’s motive is unknown, and police are investigating.

Shootings are common in South Africa, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world.

Many people own licensed firearms for personal protection, but there are many more illegal firearms on the market.