Murdered rapper Nipsey Hussle's memorial marred by violence, at least one mourner in critical condition
Even as the world reels from the senseless murder of rapper Nipsey Hussle in a gun shooting in Los Angeles on Sunday, an impromptu memorial was held in honor of the Grammy-nominated rapper at the South Los Angeles apparel store, The Marathon Clothing, on Monday. Fans had come together to be united in their grief over losing the artist who is known for his activism and efforts to give back to his community, but things turned violent during the course of the night, with many people even getting trampled as they struggled to get away.
"At least 6 people [were] injured...It is unknown if it was by stabbing or not," US Today quotes Los Angeles Police Department public information officer Tony Im as saying, based on the assessment made around 9:30 PST. Although there was a reported shooting call at 8:14 PST, the LAFD have confirmed that there was no shooting. From what is known so far, a fight may have broken out between the 300 to 400 people who had gathered in Los Angeles to mourn Hussle's death, and no actual weapons were used.
"We had at least one patient in critical condition that was transported at the initiation of the incident, but I cannot confirm the type of injuries suffered at this point," Margaret Stewart, spokesperson for the LAFD is reported as saying, adding that the numbers are quickly changing. There are over 65 firefighters on scene, she revealed.
The 33-year-old rapper, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, was shot multiple times outside The Marathon Clothing store around 3:20 p.m. on Sunday and was pronounced dead at the hospital. His death shook the music community, with many celebrities who were influenced by him expressing their grief on losing him. 'Insecure' actress Issa Rae, said that Hussle had inspired her "to invest and own in our communities" in a tribute post on Twitter, adding, "He was a solid man who loved his woman, his family and his community. This hurts."
Hussle's murder has been all the more heartbreaking because posthumously it was revealed by LAPD officers that the rapper, who was in a long-term relationship with actress girlfriend Lauren London, was going to meet with them to help curb gang violence. Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff revealed that he had a meeting with the rapper at 4 pm Monday "to talk about ways he could help stop gang violence and help us help kids. I’m so very sad."
Meanwhile, Nick Cannon, who also expressed immense grief over losing Hussle, revealed that he would honor the late rapper by completing his controversial documentary on Dr. Sebi. Many Hussle fans have claimed that his attempts to shed light on Dr. Sebi’s infamous trial, where he claimed he found the cure for AIDS may have been the cause of Hussle's death, but an undeterred Cannon has decided to fulfill his fallen friend's dream nonetheless.