Nipsey Hussle’s convicted killer will likely spend decades behind bars.
According to the Associated Press, Eric Holder Jr. was sentenced to 60 years to life in prison on Wednesday for the 2019 murder of Nipsey, a 33-year-old rapper who was fatally shot outside his clothing store in South Los Angeles. The sentencing was announced less than a year after Holder was found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted voluntary manslaughter. He was also convicted on two counts of assault with a firearm and two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter; the latter charges stem from gunfire that injured two bystanders.
Holder had pleaded not guilty to the charges and attempted to reduce his first-degree murder charge to second-degree murder or manslaughter. Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II rejected the appeal in December and also denied his request for a new trial.
Nipsey, born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom, was gunned down on March 31, 2019 after Holder had confronted him in a parking lot. The rapper was ultimately shot 10 times and rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead about half an hour after the shooting. Holder, who was immediately identified as the gunman, was arrested on April 2.
@NBCNews Nipsey Hussle fatally shot outside of his store in Los Angeles. He was 33 years old:
Nipsey and Holder reportedly knew each other for years, as they were both members of the Rollin’ 60s street gang. Prosecutors allege Nipsey had accused Holder of being a “snitch,” which prompted the then-29-year-old to open fire.
Nipsey’s good friend and employee Herman “Cowboy” Douglas was among those who witnessed the shooting.
“Nipsey was my friend, he was like a son, he was like a dad,” Douglas said in court. “Our community right now, we lost everything, everything we worked for. One man’s mistake, one man’s action, messed up a whole community. I don’t care what you give this guy [Holder]. It ain’t about the time. I just want to know why. The world wants to know why. Why someone would do that?”
