By Rich McKay
(Reuters) – A California man convicted of first-degree murder in the 2019 shooting of Grammy-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle, will face a judge on Thursday to learn if he will spend the rest of his life in prison.
In July, a Los Angeles County jury convicted Eric Ronald Holder, 32, in the killing of Hussle outside a clothing store the rapper owned in south Los Angeles.
Holder shot Hussle at least 10 times following a chance meeting on a Sunday afternoon in March 2019 in the neighborhood where they both grew up. After a brief conversation, Holder left and returned about 10 minutes later and opened fire, killing Hussle and wounding two bystanders.
Public defender Aaron Jansen acknowledged that Holder killed Hussle but argued that the defendant should not be convicted of first-degree murder because the attack was not premeditated.
Jansen said Holder had acted in “the heat of passion” after Hussle told him there were rumors of him “snitching” to police, which he considered a serious offense. Holder did not testify during the trial.
Holder also was convicted of attempted voluntary manslaughter for wounding two bystanders in the incident.
While known professionally as Hussle – stylized as Hu$$le – he was born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom, and was 33 when he died. He was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Hussle became known for his numerous mixtapes, including his “Bullets Ain’t Got No Name” series.
(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
