Nipsey Hussle: Shooting Suspect Eric Holder Charged With Murder

Eric Holder, the suspect in the shooting death of Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle, was charged with murder during a court appearance Thursday afternoon.

The 29-year-old aspiring rapper was charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, reports the Los Angeles Times. The criminal complaint also accused Holder of personally using a firearm and causing great bodily injury and death.

Holder was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly killing Nipsey and two other people on Sunday.

Nipsey, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, was shot outside his Marathon Clothing store on Slauson Avenue in Los Angeles Sunday. According to police, Holder got into an argument with Nipsey earlier that day. He returned to the shop that afternoon. After the shooting, he fled in a car driven by a woman waiting at the scene.

Holder was arrested on Tuesday after a Bellflower, California resident reported seeing a man who matched the description of Holder. Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies rushed to the area, where they found Holder standing in a nearby parking lot.

The Los Angeles County Medical Coroner ruled that Nipsey died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso.

The woman turned herself in to police on Monday and is cooperating with detectives. Sources told the Los Angeles Times she told detectives she did not know Holder planned to shoot Nipsey.

Holder has an extensive criminal record, and police believe he is a gang member. He was arrested in 2012 and charged with two felonies for possession of a loaded gun. He plead no contest to one felony and was sentenced to six months in jail after striking a deal with prosecutors. He was ordered to not “own, use or possess any dangerous or deadly weapons, including firearms, knives or other concealable weapons.”

Holder was also arrested in 2009 for domestic battery against a women he shares a child with. That case ended when he cut a deal to stay away from the woman and agreed to complete an anger management class.

Nipsey was previously a member of a gang while growing up, but became known for his work in his community in recent years. He released several mixtapes before releasing his critically acclaimed studio album Victory Lap last year, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. Nipsey is survived by two children.

Lauren London, Nipsey’s longtime girlfriend and the mother of his 2-year-old son Kross, paid tribute to the rapper on Instagram Tuesday.

“I am completely lost,” London wrote on Instagram. “I’ve lost my best friend. My sanctuary. My protector. My soul…. I’m lost without you. We are lost without you babe. I have no words.”

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