Nipsey Hussle mourners pay homage in peace to revered rapper at makeshift memorial
On the same day authorities arrested a man suspected of killing Nipsey Hussle, hundreds of mourners lined up outside the Grammy-nominated rapper’s clothing store Tuesday to honor the artist whom many saw as a champion of South L.A.
The peaceful gathering was a stark contrast to a vigil for the rapper the night before that turned chaotic when false reports of shooting and violence scared attendees, causing a flood of people to rush from the Slauson Avenue strip mall where Hussle had been gunned down Sunday.
For the roughly 600 people who visited the makeshift memorial outside of Hussle’s Marathon Clothing store on Tuesday, the day was an opportunity to pay homage to the 33-year-old entrepreneur and community organizer who fought for the black and Latino people of his Hyde Park neighborhood.
Trevor Kemp, who lives in the area, watched as people gathered by a black armored truck covered with bouquets.
“Every Christmas [Hussle] would fill up that truck and drop off gifts,” Kemp said. “They’d fill it up with sneakers and also drive around handing them out.”
Kemp said he once had a conversation with Hussle and remembered hearing him say he wanted to invest in the local parks.
“He could have made money and left, but he intended to stay,” Kemp said. “He wanted to bring change.”
Tuesday also marked the end of a two-day manhunt for Eric Holder, 29, who authorities allege got into a verbal altercation with Hussle on Sunday afternoon outside of the rapper’s clothing store before returning with a handgun and opening fire. Holder was taken into custody in Bellflower and is being held without bail, according to jail records.
Graphic video from a surveillance camera shows a gunman walking up to Hussle and two other men in front of the shop. The gunman opens fire and Hussle falls to the ground as the other men run from the gunfire.
Diana White, 60, who lives a few blocks from where the shooting occurred, waited in line in an alley with dozens of other mourners for her turn to see the teddy bears, artwork, cards and candles that had been lined in a circle and along the walls of the store for Hussle.
“It was beautiful,” she said.
White had never met the hip-hop star, but she said she couldn’t stop thinking about him after watching interviews of him on television. His death brought her to tears.
“His mannerisms reminded me of my son,” she said. “Maybe that was it. I didn’t know him, I don’t know why I felt like this, but maybe that was it, he had the same mannerisms like my son, the way he spoke.”
After the stampede outside the clothing store on Monday sent 19 people to hospitals, the Los Angeles Police Department implemented new rules for viewing the memorial. LAPD Chief Michel Moore said at a news conference Tuesday that a man with a gun might have caused the panic to begin when he took out the weapon.
Per the new rules, a maximum of 30 mourners at a time were allowed to visit the memorial for seven minutes. After that, they were instructed to exit left. The vigil ended at 10 p.m., and officers closed access to nearby streets.
Before the commotion Monday, hundreds were gathered peacefully in the area, with fans and friends sharing memories of Hussle via a megaphone.
White said at Tuesday’s vigil that she didn’t mind the heavy police presence, noting she felt safe, and that the process felt well organized.
Anminah Parker, 20, had mixed feelings about how the vigil was set up. She said she didn’t like that she only had a few minutes to pay her respects.
“I felt rushed,” she said.
She said she was happy to see the Nation of Islam helping to keep the peace, and although she felt the police came off aggressively Monday, they were welcoming Tuesday night.
“They’re taking a better approach tonight,” she said. “And that means something.”
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