Nipsey Hussle Shooting: Eric Holder Named As Suspect, Sought by LAPD

The Los Angeles Police Department has identified a suspect in the killing of rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was shot dead on Sunday.

The LAPD tweeted Monday night that 29-year-old Eric Holder was wanted for homicide in the shooting of the Grammy-nominated musician. It urged anyone with information on Holder's whereabouts to contact the force's homicide department.

Holder was last seen fleeing the scene of the crime in a 2016 white four-door Chevy Cruze CA vehicle with the license plate 7RJD742. The car, which was driven by an unidentified woman, had been waiting for Holder in an adjacent alley.

Investigators said Monday that Hussle—real name Ermias Asghedom—had died from gunshot wounds to his head and torso, the Associated Press reported. Two other men were wounded and remain in the hospital. The LAPD said Holder walked up to the three men and fired a barrage of shots as they were standing outside Hussle's Marathon Clothing Company store on Los Angeles's Slauson Avenue.

The scene quickly became a memorial site for the 33-year-old Los Angeles native, who has been lauded not only for his musical achievements but also for his philanthropic projects and community outreach.

But on Monday night, a fight broke out at a vigil being held at the scene. According to the AP, 300 to 400 people were at vigil when a fight broke out, sparking panic and a stampede as people fled. Fox News 11 was recording the vigil as the violence erupted, and the station's footage showed crowd clambering over parked cars and walls to safety.

At least 19 people were hurt in the melee and taken to the hospital for treatment. Two are in critical condition, one having been hit by a car and another having sustained a "penetrating injury." NBC News quoted anonymous police officials who said one person had been stabbed. Initial reports of gunshots were false, police said, and dozens of officers moved in to clear the crowd.

Tributes have been pouring in for Hussle, 33, who had been due to meet with the president of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners and the city's chief of police to discuss gang violence the day after he was killed.

The specter of gang violence was ever present for Hussle. "I grew up in gang culture," he told the Los Angeles Times last year. "We dealt with death, with murder. It was like living in a war zone, where people die on these blocks and everybody is a little bit immune to it. I guess they call it post-traumatic stress, when you have people that have been at war for such a long time."

The rapper was committed to investing in his community and providing business and education opportunities to young, underprivileged aspiring entrepreneurs.

Fellow musician Pharrell Williams tweeted, "You were about something positive and for your community in every chance you had to speak." Actress Issa Rae said that watching Nipsey's work "inspired me to invest and own in our communities."

Correction: Tuesday, April 2 at 3:26 ET: This story has been corrected after a previous version referred to Hussle's killing as a murder.