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Nipsey Hussle’s shooting death was planned, jury told

Published:Thursday | June 16, 2022 | 12:11 AM
Three years after rapper Nipsey Hussle was gunned down outside a Los Angeles clothing store that he founded to help revitalise the neighborhood where he grew up, a trial finally began on Wednesday for the man charged with killing him.
AP
Three years after rapper Nipsey Hussle was gunned down outside a Los Angeles clothing store that he founded to help revitalise the neighborhood where he grew up, a trial finally began on Wednesday for the man charged with killing him.

LOS ANGELES (AP):

A Los Angeles district attorney told a jury that Nipsey Hussle’s fatal shooting was premeditated by the man charged with killing the Grammy Award-winning rapper outside his clothing store three years ago.

Deputy District Attorney John McKinney said during his opening statement Wednesday that there’s “no doubt” Eric R. Holder knew in advance that he would kill Hussle. The prosecutor described the sequence of events, including a conversation about “snitching,” before Hussle’s shooting death in the South Los Angeles neighbourhood where both men grew up, and the rapper was helping revitalise. Two others were wounded in the shooting.

“He clearly thought about what he was going to do before he did it,” McKinney told jurors about Holder’s intentions.

Holder, 32, faces one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. The trial finally kicked off in a Los Angeles County courtroom after being pushed back mostly due to the pandemic.

Hussle, a hip-hop artiste, father of two, and widely beloved South LA local, born Ermias Ashgedom, was shot and killed at age 33 on March 31, 2019, in the parking lot outside of his store, known as The Marathon.

McKinney said Holder and Hussle knew each other, growing up in the same neighbourhood where they were members of the same gang, the Rollin’ 60s.

OPENING STATEMENT

In his opening statement, McKinney showed jurors a video of the aftermath of the shooting, with several people trying to resuscitate Hussle. The prosecutor also displayed several photos and another video that revealed different angles of Holder shooting Hussle and fleeing the scene, wearing a red shirt and bandana while carrying a semi-automatic gun and a revolver.

After a two-day manhunt, Holder was arrested, and two months later, he was indicted by a grand jury. He could get life in prison if convicted.

Hussle left behind his long-time partner Lauren London, with whom he had a son who is now five years old. He also had a daughter who is now 13.