Eric Holder (C), who is charged with the shooting death of rap artist Nipsey Hussle appears with his attorney Christopher Darden (L) at his arraignment in California Superior Court, April 4, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. POOL/AFP/Patrick FALLON
Eric Holder, 29, who has also been charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, was arrested on Tuesday following a two-day manhunt.
He is suspected of shooting dead Hussle, who was 33, on Sunday outside the rapper’s clothing store in south Los Angeles following a dispute.
Holder, himself an aspiring rapper, was represented in court Thursday by Chris Darden, a former prosecutor who gained notoriety for his work on the O.J. Simpson murder trial.
Holder’s bond was set at $5 million and his next court appearance was scheduled for May 10.
If found guilty, Holder faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Darden tried unsuccessfully to prevent the media from filming his client during his arraignment on Thursday, arguing that there was an “issue of identity.”
Prosecutors, however, dismissed his claim, arguing that Holder’s photo had already been widely disseminated before his court appearance.
Authorities say Holder got into an argument with Hussle, who was beloved by residents of his neighborhood for his community work, and then left and returned with a handgun.
He allegedly shot Hussle and two other men, one of whom was hospitalized.
He was arrested in Bellflower, a suburb of Los Angeles, after police received a tip.
Local news reports said he was being kept in solitary confinement in jail for fear he might be attacked by other inmates.
Hussle’s long-time girlfriend, actress Lauren London, with whom he has a two-year-old son Kross, broke her silence on Tuesday in a message on Instagram that included several photos.
“I am completely lost. I’ve lost my best friend. My sanctuary. My protector. My soul… I’m lost without you. We are lost without you, babe. I have no words,” she wrote.
Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, was praised by officials in Los Angeles and by his peers for transforming himself from being a gang member to a successful rapper and community organizer who fought for the black and Latino residents of Hyde Park, the south LA neighborhood where he grew up.
He was set to meet with local authorities on Monday to discuss ways to end gang violence.
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