Eric Holder, Suspect In Nipsey Hussle Murder, Captured In Bellflower
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A man suspected of gunning down musician Nipsey Hussle over a personal dispute has been captured in the Bellflower area.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told CBS2 that 29-year-old Eric Holder was caught by deputies sometime before 1:30 p.m. in the 9900 block of Artesia Boulevard. Los Angeles police responded to the scene and confirmed the man arrested was indeed Holder.
Hussle, 33, was killed in a triple-shooting Sunday afternoon in a South Los Angeles which left two other men wounded.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore told reporters Tuesday that Holder, a gang member, approached Hussle and the other men he was with several times Sunday and spoke with them. Holder then returned with a handgun and opened fire.
"Mr. Holder walked up on multiple occasions and engaged in a conversation with Nipsey and the others that were there. He left and subsequently came back armed with a handgun, and purposefully and repeatedly fired, striking and killing Nipsey Hussle."
One of the injured men was hospitalized, but the other was treated at the scene and refused to be transported.
Following the shooting, Holder fled in a 2016 Chevrolet Cruz being driven by an unidentified woman. Investigators were searching for the female getaway driver at last report.
Moore said that Holder had been engaged in some kind of dispute with Hussle, but did not specify the details of that dispute.
"At this point in our investigation, based on witness statements, and the background of those that we've identified, we believe this to be a dispute between Mr. Hussle and Mr. Holder," Moore said.
"It appears to be a personal matter between the two of them in regards to a dispute, and I'll leave it at that," Moore added.
The Grammy-nominated Hussle, whose real name is Ermias Joseph Asghedom, was fatally shot at around 3:20 p.m. Sunday in the 3400 block of West Slauson Avenue in the Hyde Park neighborhood. He was shot in front of Marathon Clothing, a clothing store which he opened in 2017. Asghedom was in a longtime relationship with actress Lauren London and leaves behind two children.
Moore also provided an update on a stampede which broke out at a large vigil for Hussle Monday night in which more than a dozen people were injured.
The vigil turned chaotic at around 8:10 p.m. near the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue when Moore said an unidentified man brandished a handgun. At this time, there's no evidence that he fired the gun, however.
"Another individual there, seeing that, and recognizing the danger in that, attempted to disarm him," Moore said. "And in that struggle, that caused, obviously, panic in that group of hundreds of people, and a cascade, or stampede if you will, of people hoping to leave and not suffer any injury."
As people were fleeing, several of them fell and hurt themselves.
"The vast majority of the injuries that we saw were cut injuries from falls, sprains, ankles and so forth," Moore said.
One victim reported that he was stabbed, but police have not confirmed that, Moore said. Two other women also reported being shot. However, that also has not been confirmed.
"We will continue to investigate the nature of the injuries the two women suffered, I'm not questioning their account, but at this point, I'm lacking information that a shooting occurred," Moore disclosed.