A man touches a mural depicting slain rapper Nipsey Hussle, Tuesday, April 2, 2019, in Los Angeles. Hussle was shot and killed Sunday, March 31, outside of his clothing store in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Republished April 04, 2019 - 2:51 PM
Original Publication Date April 04, 2019 - 1:21 PM
LOS ANGELES - The man suspected of killing Nipsey Hussle was charged Thursday with murder and two counts of attempted murder over an attack outside the rapper's South Los Angeles clothing store on Sunday.
Los Angeles County prosecutors filed the charges, including two counts of attempted murder, against Eric Holder, 29. He is set to appear in a downtown courtroom Thursday afternoon, two days after his arrest after a nearly 48-hour manhunt. It is not clear whether Holder has an attorney.
Authorities say Holder and Hussle, who knew each other, has several conversations Sunday outside the rapper's South LA clothing store. They say Holder eventually returned with a handgun and shot Hussle, who was declared dead at a hospital. He also wounded two other men during the attack, authorities said.
If convicted, Holder faces life in prison.
In 2012 he pleaded no contest to possession of a loaded firearm and was sentenced to six months in jail and three years' probation. The case filed Thursday includes a charge that he was a felon in possession of a gun during the attack on Hussle.
The rapper and suspect knew each other, and had some sort of personal dispute the day of the shooting, police said, declining to give further details about their relationship.
Hussle, 33, was engaged to actress Lauren London, with whom he had a 2-year-old son. He had another daughter from a previous relationship.
He was a beloved figure in the community that he was seeking to rebuild starting with his clothing store, among his fellow entertainers, and with public officials who praised his philanthropy and advocacy.
Hussle had success in hip-hop's inner circles for 10 years through his coveted mixtapes, then last year broke big with his major-label debut album, "Victory Lap," which was nominated for a Grammy.
The California State Senate adjourned in his honour on Thursday.
"He was a manifestation, from my perspective, of the American dream, even the California dream," said Sen. Holly Mitchell, a Democrat from Los Angeles.
"He represents a new generation of entertainer turned activist turned entrepreneur," she said, noting his activism on police brutality and gun violence.
Congresswoman Karen Bass said she planned to honour Hussle on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
"I will be heading to the House Floor next week to formally enter Nipsey Hussle's contributions to South Los Angeles into the Congressional Record where it will be a part of United States history forever," Bass tweeted.
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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton .
News from © The Associated Press, 2019