Eric Holder Jr. Found Guilty in the Murder of Rapper Nipsey Hussle
Three years after Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle’s death, Eric Holder Jr. was found guilty by the jury of first-degree murder.
When Nipsey Hussle was fatally shot in 2019, he had been standing in front of a clothing store he owned, where a gunman shot him in front of the entire neighborhood, just at the age of 33.
Eric Holder Jr. was the gunman who shot Nipsey Hussle, and ended up wounding several bystanders as well. The reason Holder was even near the famous rapper was because of their acquaintance being made when they were in the same street gang.
According to Holder’s defense lawyers, Nipsey Hussle was publicly shaming Holder for being a snitch over something, which angered Holder. The defense argued that it was a crime of passion, pushing for charges of manslaughter. According to the prosecution, the two men had a brief conversation in a parking lot, which ended with the two shaking hands, with the idea that the situation was resolved.
Apparently for Holder, it was not. He then, ten minutes later, found Nipsey Hussle and gunned him down on the sidewalk. Prosecution argued that Holder had methodically planned the murder out, and he was no longer heated during his act of violence.
Security footage and several testimonies showed that Holder shot Nipsey Hussle 10 times, before approaching him and kicking him in the head.
With just an hour of deliberation, the jury agreed with the prosecution, finding Holder guilty of first-degree murder. Since Holder took the time to sit in his car and plan out what he was about to do, the jury found that it had to be more than just a quick crime of passion.
Nipsey Hussle had two children, and was a very successful musician. He collaborated with many stars, and was a Grammy winner himself. He was the founder of the record label All Money In, and constantly worked to push new music out into the world.
The jury also found Holder guilty of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter due to the injuries bystanders sustained when he shot at Hussle. He was also convicted of assault with a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. With these charges, it is expected that Holder will receive a hefty sentence.
Holder’s lawyers are disappointed with the verdict and plan to appeal at his sentencing.
Holder is scheduled to face sentencing on September 15.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/07/06/arts/nipsey-hussle-eric-holder
https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/06/entertainment/nipsey-hussle-verdict/index.html
