Eric Holder, the 29-year-old suspected of gunning down LA rapper Nipsey Hussle and two other men has been formally charged with murder, reports NBC News. He has also been charged with two counts of attempted murder, as the two bystanders were injured, but not fatally, by Holder’s shots. Holder is reportedly being held in solitary confinement for fear of inmate retaliation and his bail was set for a little over $7 million.
On Sunday, Nipsey was at his Marathon store in LA’s Crenshaw/Hyde Park district sans security to help out a friend in need when Holder approached, firing several shots and hitting three men: Nipsey, his friend, and the friend’s nephew. Holder then escaped by vehicle. He was arrested by police in nearby Bellflower, and has been in holding ever since.
The community surrounding Nipsey’s store was rocked by the news, as he had grown up and owned several businesses there and was committed to philanthropy and civic outreach in the area. The hip-hop community felt the same shock, with many performers reaching out to share condolences and expressions of dismay. Likewise, even LA’s basketball community made gestures to pay tribute, with Long Beach native Russell Westbrook putting up a historic stat-line in reference to Nipsey’s neighborhood, known to locals as “The 60s.”
Meanwhile, Nipsey’s brother Sam, his girlfriend Lauren London, and his bodyguard have all expressed their grief in the past few days as they come to terms with a loss that will have a resounding effect for years to come.
Nipsey Hussle is a Warner Music artist. .
