Eric Holder Jr. found guilty of murder in death of rapper Nipsey Hussle

Eric Holder Jr., the gang member who killed rapper Nipsey Hussle, was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday and will likely spend the rest of his life in prison for gunning down the beloved Crenshaw musician and community figure.

Hussle, an ascendant rap artist and himself an avowed Crips gang member, was signing autographs for fans on March 31, 2019, outside a clothing store he owned in the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up when Holder approached. Holder departed after a brief conversation but returned several minutes later and shot Hussle 11 times. Two other men were also shot but survived.

Police arrested Holder in nearby Bellflower two days later, after the woman who served as his unwitting getaway driver turned herself in and identified him as the gunman.

Holder’s guilt was not in question throughout his two-week trial, with multiple witnesses confirming his identity and the shooting captured on security cameras. Rather than arguing for an acquittal, Holder’s attorney, Aaron Jansen, tried to persuade jurors they should convict his client of a lesser manslaughter charge instead of murder.

Jansen’s argument hinged on the words that Holder and Hussle, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, allegedly exchanged before the shooting. The two men had been members of the Rollin 60s, a subset of the Crips street gang that has long dominated Crenshaw, since they were teenagers. Witnesses at trial testified that Hussle had warned Holder there was “paperwork” on him — an implication there were court or police records showing Holder had cooperated with police on an investigation.