Second man dies in Proof incident

A man who Detroit police say was shot by rapper Proof, just before Proof himself was killed, died of his wounds early Tuesday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Keith Bender had been in critical condition since being shot in the head a week ago at the CCC, a nightclub on Eight Mile Road, the boundary between Detroit and the northern suburbs.

Bender, 35, died early Tuesday, said Wende Berry, a spokeswoman for St. John Hospital and Medical Center.

Police have said witnesses told them that Proof, 32, a hip-hop artist and friend of Eminem, shot Bender during a dispute at the after-hours club. Bender’s cousin, Mario Etheridge, then shot and killed Proof, whose real name was Deshaun Holton, they said.

Etheridge, 28, has pleaded not guilty to charges of carrying a concealed weapon and discharge of a firearm in a building. His attorney, Randall Upshaw, said the shooting was in self-defense.