Too $hort Is Alive; Not Involved in Gun Battle on Vegas Strip[VIDEO]

Too $hort is alive, contrary to reports that he was among the dead following a gun battle on the Las Vegas strip early Thursday morning.

A note on the Oakland, California, rap pioneer's Facebook page reads: "There are rumors circulating that Too Short was involved in an incident today in Las Vegas that are untrue. He is not in Vegas and has no knowledge or connection to this incident."

Additionally, Too $hort's manager David Weintruab said his client is "alive and well," and in Los Angeles.

Las Vegas police say gunfire broke out between the occupants of a Maserati and an SUV around 4:30 a.m Thursday, which caused a multi-car accident and explosion that left three people dead.  Police don't know why the cars' occupants were shooting at one another, Las Vegas police Sgt. John Sheahan said Thursday morning.

Both cars blew through a red light at an intersection, hitting multiple vehicles.  The Maserati swerved into a taxi, causing it to burst into flames, Sheahan said.  The driver of the Maserati, along with the driver of the taxi and a passenger, have been pronounced dead, according to Sheahan.  Too $hort had previously been thought to be a passenger.

This isn't the first time that Too $hort has been at the center of false death reports.  In 2011, a bogus story spread across the Web, claiming that he had suffered a fatal heart attack.