Man suspected of killing rapper Nipsey Hussle indicted on murder charges
LOS ANGELES -- A 29-year-old man has been indicted in the killing of rapper Nipsey Hussle and wounding of two others in South Los Angeles in March, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday.
Eric R. Holder Jr. was indicted by a grand jury for one count of murder, two counts each of attempted murder and assault with a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment, which was unsealed Tuesday, also includes allegations that Holder used a handgun and caused "great bodily injury and death."
Holder pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to return for a pretrial hearing on June 18.
Bail is set at $6.53 million. If convicted as charged, Holder faces a possible maximum sentence of life in state prison.
The 33-year-old artist and community leader was fatally shot March 31 while standing in front of his clothing store near the intersection of Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard. He died later that day from gunshot wounds to the head and torso, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.
Police later arrested Holder as the suspect in Hussle's killing. Holder and Hussle allegedly had a discussion or argument in front of the store Sunday, and Holder returned a short time later and started shooting, according to police.
One of the men wounded in the shooting, Kerry Lathan, was released from the hospital late last month after taking a bullet in the back during the shooting. He was later arrested for a parole violation for being around the rapper, who was technically still a gang member.
Hussle, an Eritrean-American whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, was a father of two who was engaged to actress Lauren London. He had recently purchased the strip mall where The Marathon store is located and planned to redevelop it into a mixed-use commercial and residential complex.
Thousands of people lined the streets of Los Angeles last month for a procession to honor the slain musician.
RELATED: Obama remembers Nipsey Hussle in letter read at memorial service
The 25-mile procession route stretched from near the downtown area into South L.A. and past Hussle's store. It ended at the Angelus Funeral Home, where crowds of people swarmed the hearse to pay their respects.
The largest concentration of crowds were in front of the store, the site of his shooting.
RELATED: Nipsey Hussle procession: Event had chaotic moments, but was mostly peaceful
As the hearse and procession moved through the city, gridlock ensued in some neighborhoods. Police were able to open up some pathways for traffic but other streets were blocked off by the crowds.
At one point, crowds were also standing on police cars and news vans to watch the procession go by. One police car was tagged with graffiti that read "Nips in Paradise."
VIDEO: Crowd stands on police cars to watch Nipsey Hussle procession
During the procession, passengers in one vehicle began throwing money out the window, bringing some bystanders into the street.
The crowd, for the most part, was peaceful at the end of Nipsey's final victory lap.
"Look at everybody, look at all these black people together with no drama, no issues, no fighting, no anything. It's a beautiful situation," said rapper Kboy.
More than 50 colorful murals of Hussle have popped up across L.A. since the beloved rapper and community activist was killed.
MORE: Murals in Los Angeles breathe life into rapper's legacy
Some show the rapper gazing into the sky or bowing his head. One has him standing with angel wings. Others include inspiring quotes. The street artists who created the work said they want his legacy to grow and his entrepreneurial spirit to live on.
"He wasn't the biggest star, but I knew his music. His passing led me to rediscover him under a completely new light," said Levi Ponce, who created an elaborate blue, black and white mural on 26-foot-building with Hussle's image in one day. A lyric from his song "Victory Lap" was written above his head.
After he passed away, Hussle's peers, from Jay-Z to Snoop Dogg, along with political and community leaders, were quick and effusive in their praise using words. Snoop Dogg's words to immortalize his friend were both serious and silly, as he told old stories about Hussle and their brotherhood at Hussle's public memorial service.
"This a tough one right here," he said, visibly shaken but keeping his composure.
Snoop thanked Hussle's parents multiple times and told his father that "you picked up another son in me."
Hussle's father said he knew his son was strong because when he was born, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck but he prevailed.
"He was a fighter," he said.
