Who Is Eric Holder? 6 Details About Nipsey Hussle's Alleged Murderer
He, too, is a rapper.
Instagram The Los Angeles community is mourning the violent loss of a rapper and leader.
Nipsey Hussle, a Grammy-nominated rapper, was murdered in South Los Angeles on Sunday. Hussle was with a friend who had just been released from prison after serving 20 years. Hussle took him to his Marathon Clothing store to find new clothes before seeing his family as a free man. It was in front of the store that Hussle was shot and killed. The friend was injured in the attack, along with the friend’s nephew, who had driven him to the store. Hussle, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, was pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy determined he had been shot in the head and torso.
Hussle, 33, had not informed his security team of his trip. TMZ reported his team didn’t even know he’d left the house.
Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, called the rapper “a tireless advocate of the people of the city and this world,” and added that “his impact on our city was deep.”
Many musicians and celebrities have expressed their shocked condolences at the loss, including Rihanna and Pharrell. Lauren London, Hussle’s longtime girlfriend, posted about her devastation on Instagram.
"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 captioned a photo of Hussle on Tuesday.
The police are currently holding Hussle’s alleged murderer in solitary confinement, as they believe he is a target for violence in prison.
Eric Holder was arrested in Lakewood on Tuesday after a two-day search. Early Wednesday morning, a judge set his bail at $7,040,000. He was identified through graphic videos of the altercation.
Who is Eric Holder? Here’s what we know about Hussle’s alleged killer.
1. He is not the same Eric Holder as the former Attorney General of the United States.
Eric Holder may be a familiar name. He has recently commented on the Muller investigation to many news outlets. The topic is certainly in his arena.
This Eric Holder was the 82nd United States Attorney General. He briefly served as Acting Attorney General under George W. Bush in 2001, until the Senate approved of John Ashcroft, Bush’s nominee for the position. He returned under Barack Obama’s administration as the AG from 2009 to 2015.
Although the two men share a name, they are clearly on opposite ends when it comes to justice. The alleged murderer of Nipsey Hussle is 29 years old and from Los Angeles.
2. He’s a rapper.
A blog called Holder an “up and coming West-Coast underground Hip Hop artist,” crediting him with his rapper name, “Fly Mac.”
Social media users identified Holder through his aliases on April 1, despite Holder’s lack of a following online. He has 79 followers on Instagram as of Apr. 4.
Holder goes by “Fly Mac” on SoundCloud, where he has posted six tracks. He has been active on the platform since 2015. As of Apr. 4, the rapper has 253 followers. His most popular song is “On the pole,” which has been played nearly 600,000 times.
Holder also has a YouTube channel, but all the videos have been removed.
3. He’s also known by the street name “Shitty Cruz.”
Most people identified Holder as “Shitty Cruz.” It’s his street name as a member of the Rollin 60s Neighborhood Crips. Hussle was also a member of the same gang, which he joined as a teen.
Initially, there was some confusion about Holder’s identity given his aliases, but Holder, “Fly Mac” and “Shitty Cruz” have since been confirmed as the same person.
Holder’s Instagram account is @ima_god_in_da__streetz, but his name, description, and content has changed since his arrest. According to its description, the account is run by his sister. She pleads to “Free #Shitty he innocent.” All of his posts prior to the murder have been deleted.
In a post made on Apr. 3 with information about Holder’s bond, his sister says “my brother is innocent. The government is framing him.”
4. He has had run-ins with the law before.
According to The Blast, Holder had been arrested on gun-possession and domestic violence charges in the past. In the domestic violence case, Holder was accused of assaulting the mother of his child. He pled guilty to the charge. He ended up participating in an anger management treatment program.
Sources also told The Blast that Holder had a history of mental illness. He had been arrested in the parking lot of a facility that offered mental health services.
5. His getaway driver turned herself in.
Lauren London's tribute to her late partner
The woman, who authorities have not named, went to the police and helped end the two-day manhunt for Holder. The LAPD let her walk free in exchange for the information.
A source said that the driver claimed she was not at all aware that Holder shot Hussle before driving him away.
6. He committed the crime over a “personal matter.”
Investigators believe the shooting was from a “personal matter between the two of them,” but have not elaborated further on the matter.
L.A. Police Chief Michel Moore gave a description of the Sunday afternoon altercation on Tuesday.
“Mr. Holder walked up on multiple occasions and engaged in conversations” with Hussle, Moore said. “He came back armed with a handgun,” then opened fire.
Alison Cerri is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics.