Rapper Takeoff died from gunshot wounds to the head and body following a shooting outside a private party at a Houston bowling alley, authorities announced on Wednesday.

The announcement — following a post mortem examination by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in Houston — comes as police continue to seek the public’s help in tracking down the person or persons responsible for the rapper’s death on Tuesday.

Takeoff’s primary cause of death was listed as “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into arm” and the manner of death was homicide.

Takeoff, whose off-stage name was Kirsnick Khari Ball, formed one third of the Grammy Award-nominated rap trio Migos with his uncle Quavo and cousin Offset, from Atlanta.

The 28-year-old rapper was killed around 2.30am on Tuesday when gunfire erupted outside 810 Billiards and Bowling in the Texas city following a private party.

Investigators are looking to speak with the 40 people who attended the party and fled after the gunfire, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said.

At least two people discharged firearms, according to Mr Finner. Two others were hit by gunfire but had non life-threatening wounds and went to hospitals in private vehicles, he said.

Mr Finner said Takeoff was “well-respected,” and there was “no reason to believe he was involved in anything criminal at the time.”

Migos’s record label, Quality Control, mourned Takeoff’s death in a statement posted on Instagram. The statement said senseless violence “has taken another life from this world and we are devastated.”

The bowling alley is in a three-story Houston retail complex with high-end restaurants and a Four Seasons hotel.

Fans created a memorial with roses, candles and a teddy bear on the first floor of the retail complex.

Mr Finner said he wants to meet other hip-hop artists to talk about violence, although he did not say Takeoff’s killing had anything to do with his work in music.

Migos first broke through with the massive hit Versace in 2013. They had four Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, though Takeoff was not on their multi-week No 1 hit Bad And Boujee, featuring Lil Uzi Vert. They put out a trilogy of albums called Culture, Culture II and Culture III, with the first two hitting No 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Offset, who is married to Cardi B, released a solo album in 2019, while Takeoff and Quavo released the joint album Only Built For Infinity Links last month.