The gang member who shot dead American rapper Nipsey Hussle in Los Angeles in 2019 was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Wednesday.
Eric Holder, 32, admitted at trial to murdering American rap rising star Nipsey Hussle, though he defended he acted “under the influence of passion”, without planning the death.
This version was not matched by the jury who found the American guilty of murder in July and therefore held that he acted with premeditation.
The judge overseeing the case on Wednesday sentenced Holder to a minimum sentence of 25 years for murder, with another 25 years for using a firearm and another 10 years for shooting and wounding two other men nearby.
The death of Nipsey Hussle, in March 2019, at the age of 33, has deeply affected the United States.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, many stars, including Stevie Wonder and Snoop Dogg, paid tribute to this highly acclaimed “rapper” in the hip-hop world.
Tens of thousands of people attended the ceremony in his memory in Los Angeles, where a message from former US President Barack Obama was read.
Despite opening his clothing store in the South Los Angeles neighborhood where he spent his childhood, Nipsey Hussle remained connected to the gang world where he grew up.
His killer, Eric Holder, was a member of the Rollin 60s Crips, an organization that included the rapper.
Before he died, the artist got into a fight with Holder.
At the trial, the prosecutor argued that the killer “had plenty of time to plan his gesture with premeditation.”
Nipsey Hussle, of Eritrean descent, was posthumously honored with two Grammy Awards in 2020 for his songs “Racks in the Middle” and “Higher”.
In August, he was also awarded a posthumous star on Hollywood Boulevard.
Source: DN
