Suspect in rapper Nipsey Hussle's killing arrested in Los Angeles suburb

[April 03, 2019]  By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The man suspected of fatally shooting Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle in a personal dispute was arrested in a Los Angeles suburb on Tuesday, a day after authorities named him publicly, police officials said.

Hussle, 33, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, was shot multiple times on Sunday afternoon outside his store, Marathon Clothing, in south Los Angeles. Two other people were wounded in the shooting, police said.

On Tuesday, a tipster called to report seeing the man police had named as a suspect, Eric Holder, in the suburban community of Bellflower, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies went to the site and arrested Holder, 29, and then handed him to police to be booked for murder, the statement said. Formal charges were pending and Holder was being held without bail.

Hussle's debut studio album, "Victory Lap," was nominated for Best Rap Album at this year's Grammy Awards. His death rattled the entertainment and hip-hop world, with celebrities posting memories of him on social media.

Hussle made several mixtapes, which are generally created outside the record label system, before recording his debut album with Atlantic Records and collaborating with singer and rapper CeeLo Green and Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar.

The day he died, Hussle wrote on his Twitter page, "Having strong enemies is a blessing."

Police officials have not described the dispute they said led to the shooting.

Holder is suspected of walking up to Hussle and two other men and shooting them. Holder, a Los Angeles resident, ran down an alley and fled in a Chevy Cruze driven by a woman, the police statement said.

Authorities had no information to indicate Hussle's death was related to gang activity.

The area where Hussle was killed has seen an increase in shootings in recent weeks, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told a news conference.

Hussle had planned to meet with Steve Soboroff, president of the Los Angeles Police Commission, to prevent gang violence in his neighborhood, Soboroff said.

On Monday, a crowd gathered for a vigil outside Hussle's clothing store. A disturbance set off a stampede and at least two people were critically injured, officials and media reports said.

Hussle, who was of Eritrean descent, grew up in south Los Angeles. He described once belonging to a street gang, but more recently had become a community organizer and activist.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Additional reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta and Gina Cherelus in New York; editing by Bill Berkrot, Tom Brown and Leslie Adler)

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