Nineteen people were injured, police said, as hundreds of fans gathered to remember the late rapper Nipsey Hussle on Monday night.
Hundreds of fans came together in front of Hussle’s Marathon clothing store to honor his life and the impact that life had on the hip hop community.
According to ABC News, chaos broke out when people attempted to hurriedly leave the scene in droves after hearing a loud noise believed by many to be gunshots.
“Our men and women are on [the] scene and making every effort to protect everyone in attendance at the Nipsey Hussle vigil,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement Monday. “Reports of shots fired at the vigil do not appear to be accurate. We do have injured in the chaos and are attempting to restore order.”
A local hero, the 33-year-old Grammy nominated rapper, born Ermias Asghedom, created job opportunities, developed STEM programs for disadvantaged youth, and was set to work with law enforcement to deter gang violence when his life was tragically cut short Sunday in broad daylight.
Hussle was shot multiple times outside of his clothing store, which is located at Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard. According to the coroner’s office, the autopsy stated that the official cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds to the head and torso.
Before Hussle’s vigil turned into a scary scene, attendees blasted his music while shedding tears and wielding signs that expressed their sadness. They also released blue balloons into the air.
An aerial video tweeted by ABC News showed the full scope of the massive crowd of mourners.
Despite a long-standing tension between Los Angeles rappers and law enforcement, Hussle was willing to work with the police to ensure the safety of his beloved community.
LAPD Commissioner Steve Soboroff confirmed that an already scheduled meeting with the rapper and his associates to strategize about developing methods to combat gang violence will still happen in his honor.
“Tonight’s homicide in South L.A. represents the latest loss in a troubling surge in violence. Since last Sunday, 26 victims have been shot & 10 homicides — that’s 36 families left picking up the pieces. We will work aggressively with our community to quell this senseless loss of life,” tweeted LAPD Chief Michel Moore just hours after the murder.
The LAPD tweeted Monday that they had identified a suspect in the murder, 29-year-old Black man Eric Holder. Police said Holder was last seen in a 2016 white four-door Chevy Cruze with California license plate 7RJD742.
If you have any information, police are urging citizens to call 323-786-5100.