Rapper Nipsey Hussle killed in LA, alleged gunman charged with murder
Photo Credit: @laurenlondon (Instagram)
Celebrities, politicians and the general public mourned Sunday afternoon when they found out that Nipsey Hussle died at a local Los Angeles hospital from gunshots wounds he sustained in a shooting outside his clothing store.
The Grammy-nominated artist and entrepreneur leaves behind his partner Lauren London and two children.
The Los Angeles Police Department announced Tuesday it arrested the alleged gunman, 29-year-old Eric Holder. According to LAPD, the suspect knew Hussle and the motivation behind the shooting was due to a personal dispute.
Los Angeles prosecutors charged Holder with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder on Thursday. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
According to police, Holder left the scene after he and Hussle engaged in conversation, before returning and shooting Hussle with a handgun. Two other victims were wounded at Hussle’s clothing store.
Hussle’s death shocked social media and posts mourning his death filled feeds on Twitter and Instagram. From NBA star LeBron James to California Sen. Kamala Harris, many tweeted their final goodbyes to Hussle and honored how he not only made a difference in the music industry, but in the Los Angeles community as well.
Growing up, Hussle was a member of a local gang in Los Angeles, the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips. Hussle told The Los Angeles Times in 2018 that dealing with gang culture meant witnessing violence, drugs and murders on the streets daily.
“Everybody became a little immune to it,” Hussle said.
Hussle’s upbringing is one of the reasons he wanted to not only come back to his old neighborhood, but give back and make a difference.
He developed numerous projects for his southern Los Angeles community, including helping build a basketball court for an elementary school and helping construct a STEM center.
Hussle also supported the teachings of art and culture in his neighborhood. He helped promote “Destination Crenshaw,” a community project that helps teach the the history of black culture to citizens in southern Los Angeles.
Students across Maryland’s campus felt the loss of Hussle as well. Once sophomore economics major Sam Murphy found out about how active Hussle was for his community, Murphy’s view about him shifted completely.
“Honestly I didn’t know a whole lot about him besides his name,” Murphy said. “I never knew how much he gave back to his community. I think after reading about some of the things he’s done, it makes his death even harder for those close to him. From what I’ve seen on social media and the news, he was more than just a rapper.”
Junior economics major Josh Blair did not believe the news at first as he was scrolling through Twitter, trying to confirm the reports.
“I was pretty stunned,” Blair said. “He was never my favorite rapper, but some of the songs he put out there were lyrical gold. In terms of respect earned, I put him up there with Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole.”
Hussle died one day before he was set to meet with the president of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners to discuss how they can work to prevent the spreading of gang culture to younger generations, as well as promote gang awareness for the public.
“I saw the name Nipsey Hussle, and I looked at that again, and I looked at it again, and it was like I could not believe it,” Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday at a press conference. “This is a voice that was trying to help.
Hussle collaborated with artists like Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Drake, Young Thug and Rick Ross. His debut studio album, “Victory Lap,”was nominated for best rap album at the 61st Grammy Awards earlier this year.