Early Tuesday morning, the LAPD announced that it is seeking a suspect in the shooting death of rapper and entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle on Sunday afternoon. The police have identified the suspect as Eric Holder, a 29-year-old Los Angeles man. According to a police statement, it is believed that Holder walked up to three men in front of Marathon Clothing, the 33-year-old musician's store in the Crenshaw area of South Los Angeles, and fired numerous times at them. Holder then allegedly fled the shooting as the passenger in a white 2016 Chevy Cruze driven by an unidentified female.
Police Name Suspect in Nipsey Hussle Killing; 13 Injured at Rapper's Vigil
The Grammy-nominated Nipsey Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, died from his wounds. A longtime community philanthropist and activist, he had been scheduled to meet Monday with L.A. police commissioner Steve Soboroff and LAPD chief Michel Moore about ways to help stop gang violence. "I'm very sad," Soboroff wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, there was a stampede at a memorial vigil held for Nipsey Hussle Monday evening, after a rumor spread that gunshots were being fired in the crowd. Michel Moore posted on Twitter that 13 people sustained injuries as attendees fled; 12 were treated onsite. The LAPD says that the reports of shots being fired did not appear to be accurate.
However, the chaos was frightening. "Tonight was the first night in a while that I honestly felt scared on the job," ABC7 reporter Veronica Miracle wrote on Twitter. "Babies were screaming, people were shoving themselves under our @ABC7 news van for cover while crying, people were trampled. My heart hurts for everyone who came here to mourn @NipseyHussle's death."
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"Beyond the music, he was a benefactor to the black community of South Central Los Angeles"
Chief Moore also posted on Sunday evening that Nipsey Hussle's death was one of 26 shootings and 10 homicides that have occurred in Los Angeles in the week since March 24.
"That's 36 families left picking up the pieces," Moore wrote on Twitter. "We will work aggressively with our community to quell this senseless loss of life."
The LAPD is planning to hold a press conference Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. PT addressing the uptick in violence in the city, as well as give an update on the ongoing murder investigation of Nipsey Hussle.
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