Jury Told Nipsey Hussle's Shooting Death Was Planned In Opening Statements
The 2019 shooting death of rapper Nipsey Hussle, 33, was premeditated, a Los Angeles County prosecutor told jurors Wednesday (June 15) during opening statements in the murder trial of the accused assailant.
Deputy District Attorney John McKinney alleged that Hussle was gunned down outside his clothing shop because Eric R. Holder, the accused gunman, was upset over a discussion about snitching, The Associated Press reports.
“He clearly thought about what he was going to do before he did it,” McKinney told jurors in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom about Holder’s intentions.
Holder, 32, faces one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. He faces a life sentence if convicted.
Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, was fatally shot on March 31, 2019, in the parking lot of his store, The Marathon, in the South Los Angeles neighborhood where he and Holder grew up. Holder allegedly shot Hussle at least 10 times, wounded two other people, and kicked Hussle in the head before making his getaway. The police arrested Holder after a two-day manhunt.
According to McKinney, Hussle and Holder were members of the Rollin’ 60s gang, a set of the Crips, while growing up. Before the shooting started, Hussle and his two friends had a “cool conversation” with Holder to clear up what they heard about Holder snitching.
Herman “Cowboy” Douglas, 49, a former gang member who worked at The Marathon, testified Wednesday, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Douglas said he overheard the conversation between Hussle and Holder. He stated that Hussle was warning Holder that he heard rumors of him working with police but didn’t use the actual word “snitch” in the “chill” conversation. Those rumors could have deadly consequences for Holder, Hussle was trying to emphasize.
“He told him friend-to-friend, I heard there’s some paperwork floating around. I ain’t read it, take care of it,” The Times quoted Douglas’ recollection of Hussle’s advice to Holder.
Douglas said Holder, an aspiring rapper, asked Hussle if he had listened to his recent music.
In his opening statement, McKinney told jurors that Holder was “not nearly as successful, not nearly as respected” as Hussle.
Defense attorney Aaron Jansen painted a much different picture of the exchange between Hussle and his client. Jansen told jurors that the shooting was a case of “heated passion” in which Holder didn’t have time to cool off before firing his weapon. The attorney argued that there was no premeditation in the killing and that Holder shot the other two men unintentionally.
Hussle, who turned his life around to become a community organizer and entrepreneur, was much-beloved in South Los Angeles. He left behind two children, one of whom he shared with longtime partner Lauren London.
He won two posthumous Grammy Awards in 2020 for Best Rap/Song Performance for his feature in DJ Khaled’s “Higher” and Best Rap Performance for “Racks in the Middle,” released a few weeks before his death and featuring Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy.
