Nipsey Hussle: Victim Shot in Attack Reportedly Arrested for Gang Ties

A victim in the shooting that took the life of rapper Nipsey Hussle has been arrested for alleged gang ties and his association with the late rapper.

According to TMZ, 56-year-old Kerry Lathan was arrested a week after the shooting that put him in the hospital. Lathan was shot in the back during the incident and treated at the hospital before his release. Five days later, Lathan was arrested at his halfway house for associating with a known gang member — Nipsey Hussle according to TMZ.

The reason for the arrest stems from Lathan’s parole following his release from prison. The shooting victim served 20 years behind bars for murder and is currently in Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles awaiting a decision on his parole.

TMZ adds that Lathan is currently wheelchair-bound and unable to walk as a result of the shooting.

Lathan was reportedly also the reason that Hussle was even at the Marathon clothing store that Sunday, attempting to give the freshly released man clothes ahead of his reunion with friends and family.

The news comes a day after Hussle’s memorial at the Staple’s Center in Los Angeles. Countless fans flooded the arena to say goodbye to the late rapper, with a service highlighted by a letter written by Barack Obama and a tearful eulogy delivered by Hussle’s girlfriend, Lauren London.

“My pain is from a 2-year-old that probably won’t remember how much his dad loved him,” London said during the event. “This is something that I don’t really understand but I know Ermias always used to say that you can’t possess people; that you experience them. I’m so honored and blessed to experience such a man.”

The violence that took the rapper’s life did not end with his death that Sunday. The many vigils and memorials held for Hussle have faced violence too. A shooting and possible attempted murder during the Crenshaw vigil forced the peaceful event to end in a panic.

And following Thursday’s memorial, another drive-by shooting took the life of one person and injured three more. The spat of violence forced LAPD police chief Michael Moore to call for an end to the violence, be it connected to the funeral or not.

The memorial has also been struck by several people trying to cash in or profit off of the event. The free tickets to the memorial ended up appearing online for sale, with some going for hundreds. These were blocked, but it didn’t stop others from trying to sell the free programs from the memorial online as well.

Luckily, the positive message from Hussle’s short life and the desires of his supporters have won out to this point.