The man who killed rapper Nipsey Hussle has been sentenced to serve the next 60 years in prison.
According to The Associated Press, Eric R. Holder Jr. was sentenced to 60 years to life for killing Ermias Asghedom, better known as Nipsey Hussle. Last summer, he was found guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of the Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles rapper in 2019.
The 32-year-old killed Hussle outside The Marathon clothing store the rapper owned in south Los Angeles.
Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II sentenced Holder to 60 years to life in prison after hearing testimony about the considerable cost of killing the local rap star who remained in his neighborhood after national success. He also considered the rapper’s one-time associate’s lifetime of mental illness, abuse, and struggle.
“I am very mindful of what was presented as to Mr. Holder’s mental health,” Jacke stated. “I am also mindful of the devastation caused to the victims and their families. I believe this sentence balances the two.”
Holder was convicted of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for the gunfire that hit two other men at the scene who survived.
The judge sentenced Hussle’s killer to 25 years to life for the murder, 25 more for a firearm sentencing enhancement, and 10 years for assault with a firearm. The sentences will run concurrently.
Hussle and Holder had known each other for years when the two were members of the Rollin’ 60s in South LA.
During last year’s trial, prosecutors revealed that Hussle was slain after a conversation with his killer, where he allegedly accused him of snitching, which led Holder to come back and kill the popular rapper.
The 33-year-old Hussle was killed in front of his Marathon Clothing store in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.
A petition was started to rename the intersection of Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard near Hussle’s store, Marathon Clothing, to “Nipsey Hussle Square.” On the day of his funeral, the City Council announced it was set to be renamed Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom Square to honor him and his contributions to the neighborhood. He is survived by his 3-year-old son Kross Ermias with his longtime girlfriend, Lauren London, and his 11-year-old daughter Emani from a previous relationship.