The gang member who shot and killed rapper Nipsey Hussle to death in 2019 has been convicted of first-degree murder in a Los Angeles court. Eric Holder Jr. was also convicted of several other charges, including attempted voluntary manslaughter and assault for shooting two other men who survived the shootings. Holder faces a possible life sentence; sentencing will take place at a later date to be determined.
Entering their second day of deliberation, jurors announced they had reached a verdict. The jury rejected Holder’s attorney’s contention that a lesser charge was merited because the killing took place in the “heat of passion.” During the two-week trial, Holder did not deny responsibility for the shooting, but his attorney, Aaron Jansen argued that Holder should be convicted of a lesser charge, manslaughter, rather than murder.
On the day of his murder, March 31, 2019, Hussle was signing autographs outside the clothing store he owned in South Los Angeles when Holder confronted him in a brief conversation, departed, and then returned several minutes to shoot the rapper. Hussle was shot 11 times, along with two other men, but was the only one not to survive. Holder was arrested by police two days after Hussle’s murder, after the woman who drove him away from the site turned herself in and identified him as the shooter. Holder’s identity had been captured on security cameras as well, and he was identified by multiple witnesses.
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