A jury convicted Eric Holder, a former acquaintance of Nipsey Hussle in the rapper’s murder, three years after Hussle was gunned down outside his clothing store in Los Angeles.
According to NBC Los Angeles, Eric R. Holder Jr. was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of the beloved rapper and community leader today Wednesday, June 6.
Nipsey Hussle born Ermias Asghedom, a hip-hop artist, and father of two, was shot and killed on March 31, 2019, at the age of 33, in the parking lot outside his store, The Marathon.
Eric Holder had a discussion with Nipsey Hussle and two others at The Marathon in South Los Angeles, but Holder was enraged by accusations that he was a snitch, according to Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney John McKinney during the trial.
Holder returned to the store later that day with a gun, according to McKinney, and multiple witnesses saw him walk up to Hussle and open fire on the rapper. According to McKinney, Holder and Hussle grew up together and were both members of the Rollin 60s Neighborhood Crips gang.
Eric Holder was charged with first-degree murder, as well as two counts of attempted first-degree murder for two others injured in the shooting. On the surviving victims, the jury found him guilty of lesser charges, landing on two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter instead.
He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and will be sentenced in September. During the trial, videos and photos showed Holder fleeing the scene while holding a semiautomatic revolver. At least ten shots were fired at Hussle.
During the opening statements, McKinney accused Eric Holder of premeditated murder, which Holder’s attorney, Aaron Jansen, refuted. Jansen told the jury that Eric Holder attacked Nipsey Hussle in a fit of “heated passion,” reacting to the conversation before having time to cool off. He claimed that Eric Holder’s charges were excessive because there was no premeditated plan to kill Hussle.
According to NBC Los Angeles, Bryannita Nicholson, who described herself as being in a casual relationship with Eric Holder at the time, testified that she drove him to the store prior to the shooting. She said that they were eating in her car when Holder told her he’d be right back and she should stay there.
Soon after, she heard gunshots and Holder rushed back to the car, instructing her to drive. Nicholson claimed she had no idea about Holder’s connection to Hussle until he asked her to drive her to the strip mall.
Jansen pressed Nicholson on inaccuracies in her testimony, using video to challenge her timeline of events and specific details, such as the color of a car in which Holder placed a bag of fries.
Nicholson blamed the errors on the time between Hussle’s death and his trial, saying she was not lying but made genuine mistakes. Last week, closing arguments were postponed after Holder was attacked by “multiple individuals” while waiting for transportation to the Los Angeles courthouse. Holder’s head was injured after he was slashed with a razor.
The case was assigned to the jury last Thursday, just before the court went on vacation for the Fourth of July holiday.
Hussle was a beloved member of the South Los Angeles community. His death sparked deep grief and outrage, initiating vigils and a public funeral at the Staples Center, where thousands gathered to pay their respects.
Hussle’s legacy includes his commitment to his old neighborhood, where he worked on community development and ran several businesses.
Hussle, a former gang member, was an advocate against gun violence and had been scheduled to meet with Los Angeles law enforcement to discuss gang violence prevention programs before his death.
Following his death, fans, music industry peers, and politicians paid tribute to his efforts. Former President Barack Obama stated that Hussle was introduced to him by his daughters, and he discovered Hussle’s community work after his death.
“While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets, and despair, Nipsey saw potential. He saw hope,” Obama said in a letter that was read at Hussle’s funeral.
