Nipsey Hussle’s Cause of Death Confirmed by Coroner

Rapper Nipsey Hussle’s cause of death has been confirmed. The rapper died from gunshot wounds to his head and torso, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Coroner.

According to TMZ, the 33-year-old rapper, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. Sunday at a downtown Los Angeles hospital.

Asghedom was shot and killed outside his Marathon Clothing store in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was one of three people shot outside the store. The two other people were listed in critical condition at a hospital.

Police are still searching for the suspect. TMZ published surveillance footage from a camera near the scene of the shooting. The footage shows someone in a red shirt enter the frame from an alleyway, then walking quickly to the store.

The video does not clearly show the shooting, but a victim can be seen falling to the ground while people flee the scene. The person in red was not seen running out of the parking lot. It is not clear if the victim seen falling to the ground, but the victim is wearing a white shirt similar to the one he was seen wearing moments before the shooting.

Police described the shooter as a black male in his 20s, reports TMZ. They also believe he left the scene in a vehicle driven by a woman.

Asghedom released several mixtapes between 2010 and 2017 before finally releasing his first studio album, Victory Lap, in February 2018. The album was critically acclaimed, earning a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album.

The “Feelin’ Myself” rapper was also known for his work in the community where he grew up. He openly discussed being a member of the Rollin’ 60s, a notorious Crips gang clique, when he was a teenager.

“We dealt with death, with murder,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2018. “It was like living in a war zone, where people die on these blocks and everybody is a little bit immune to it. I guess they call it post-traumatic stress, when you have people that have been at war for such a long time. I think L.A. suffers from that because it’s not normal yet we embrace it like it is after a while.”

Hours before his death, Asghedom tweeted, “Having strong enemies is a blessing.”

Following his death, celebrities and fans rushed out to share their condolences. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti called Asghedom’s death an “awful tragedy.”

“Our hearts are with the loved ones of Nipsey Hussle and everyone touched by this awful tragedy. L.A. is hurt deeply each time a young life is lost to senseless gun violence,” the mayor wrote. “My Crisis Response Team is assisting the families coping with shock and grief.”

“My whole energy is just at a low right now hearing this,” Drake, who worked with Asghedom, wrote. “You were a real one to your people and to the rest of us. I’m only doing this here cause I want the world to know I saw you as a man of respect and a don. Rest easy my g.”

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