The man convicted of gunning down rapper Nipsey Hussle in 2019 was sentenced to 60 years in prison Wednesday, following a ruling from a Los Angeles Superior Court judge.
Eric R. Holder Jr., 33, was convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting death of the Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist, whose real name was Airmiess Asghedom, The Associated Press reported. This conviction follows a month-long trial in July in which a jury also convicted Holder of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for injuring two other men at the scene the day Hussle was killed, the outlet stated.
Holder and Hussle reportedly grew up in the same South Los Angeles neighborhood, a neighborhood Hussle was working to revitalize when he was killed, the outlet noted. Holder, who allegedly struggled with mental health issues, reportedly shot Hussle ten times, wounding two others in the process, outside of a clothing store the rapper had founded in the neighborhood. Holder then reportedly kicked Hussle in the head, AP reported.
Nipsey Hussle’s convicted killer is sentenced to 60 years to life in prison. pic.twitter.com/QOokwH6S4T
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 22, 2023
“He clearly thought about what he was going to do before he did it,” Deputy District Attorney John McKinney during his opening statement at the trial, AP reported at the time. (RELATED: 911 Call Immediately Following Nipsey Huddle Shooting Released To Public)
Herman “Cowboy” Douglas, a witness to the murder and a close friend of Hussle’s, remarked on the impact of Hussel’s loss not just for him, but for the community he was trying to revitalize.
“Nipsey was my friend, he was like a son, he was like a dad. Our community right now, we lost everything, everything we worked for. One man’s mistake, one man’s action, messed up a whole community.” Douglas stated, according to AP.
“I don’t care what you give this guy,” Douglas told the judge, according to the outlet. “It ain’t about the time. I just want to know why. The world wants to know why. Why someone would do that?”
Holder was sentenced to 25 years to life for Holder’s murder, 25 more years for a firearm sentencing enhancement and 10 for assault with a firearm, AP reported.
“I am very mindful of what was presented as to Mr. Holder’s mental health. I am also mindful of the devastation caused to the victims and their families. I believe this sentence balances the two,” Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II stated, per AP.