Mourners injured in stampede at Nipsey Hussle memorial, police confirm no gunfire

A number of mourners, possibly nervous about what they thought were gunshots but turned out not to be, were hurt at a vigil for the rapper and local hero

Apr 2, 2019


 

Nipsey Hussle’s fans held a vigil for the slain rapper this week that unfortunately ended in a stampede.

According to NBC News, distraught mourners started to gathered outside of the local hero’s Marathon Clothing store in Los Angeles on Sunday evening as soon as news broke of his passing. However, more than 24 hours later a melee erupted at about 9 p.m.

READ MORE: The Amazing Life of Nipsey Hussle: 5 Facts you need to know

Surveillance footage shows petrified fans fleeting across the parking lot where the memorial was being held causing a violent stampede that left one person stabbed and an estimated 19 injured.

Initially a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Fire Department said they had received a report of a possible shooting, but NPR reported that the LAPD conceded that accounts of shots being fired at the vigil did not appear to be accurate. Instead it appears frayed nerves may have caused some mourners to react adversely to a loud noise they assumed was gunfire.

READ MORE: Long-Time Fans or New to ‘Victory Lap,’ the Hip Hop Community Mourns: Nipsey Hussle was one of ours

LAist also debunks the original assumptions that a violent attack occurred and states that fire officials are confirmed that the majority of injuries were consistent with “‘trample injuries’ sustained when the crowd rushed out.”

A few hours after the crowd fled, the LAPD identified Eric Holder, 29 (not to be confused with the former U.S. Attorney General), as a person of interest in connection with Hussle’s killing and his mug shot quickly went viral. LAPD is asking anyone with information related to Holder’s whereabouts or the shooting to contact them.

READ MORE: LA police identify suspect in Nipsey Hussle murder

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