Who is King from The Hate You Give?

King is the head of the King Lords, which is one of the two major gangs in Garden Heights. Maverick was once in the gang as well, and the two men now have a strained relationship, which is worsened by King's threats against Starr and DeVante.

King is abusive to his family, regularly beating his girlfriend Iesha, and their daughter Kenya. He does not hit Seven because he grudgingly fears Maverick's reaction. At the end of the novel, King and his gang take advantage of the chaos during the violent protests in Garden Heights and set fire to Maverick's store. The plan backfires when everyone in the neighborhood points the finger at King, and he is subsequently arrested for arson.