Rapper Nipsey Hussle was fatally shot Sunday in the Hyde Park neighborhood of South Los Angeles.
The rapper, born Ermias Asghedom, was among three people shot outside his Marathon Clothing store and suffered multiple gunshot wounds, according to reports carried live on local news broadcasts.
The shooting occurred at 3:20 p.m. in the 3400 block of West Slauson Ave. near Crenshaw Boulevard, a spokesman with the Los Angeles Police Department told Urban Hollywood 411.
The shooting occurred while the rapper was standing in the parking lot of the busy strip mall talking to friends and fans. Moments after opening fire on Hussle, the gunman fled in an unknown vehicle, police said.
Read More: LA Leaders Call for Calm After Rapper Nipsey Hussle Is Killed
Two people standing next to Hussle were also struck by bullets. The three shooting victims were rushed to an area hospital, where Hussle was pronounced dead. The two other men were said to be in serious condition.
After the shooting, CBS Los Angeles reporter Cristy Fajardo posted video on Twitter showing a crowd of fans and neighborhood residents gathering near the clothing store to remember the slain rapper. There were also several LAPD cruisers in the neighborhood, with yellow crime scene tape surrounding the area.
Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson offered his condolences to Hussle’s family in a statement on Twitter.
“Rest in peace Nipsey Hussle,” Wesson tweeted Sunday evening. “He inspired so many people and loved the community he came from. His legacy will live on through his children, his music, all those he positively impacted, and his work on #DestinationCrenshaw [real estate development]. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones.”
Hussle, 33, was a father of two. The rapper released a series of mixtapes, and his debut studio album Victory Lap was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.
He was born on Aug. 15, 1985, and grew up in impoverished South Los Angeles. He stayed in the neighborhood, even after finding success in the music industry, and launched several area businesses.
Last month the rapper and his girlfriend, actress Lauren London, of the film ATL and BET series, The Game, sat down for an interview and photo shoot with GQ magazine.
Hussle admitted life in South L.A. wasn’t easy.
“I grew up in an environment where being polite was taken as a weakness,” he said. “So I just fought everybody.”
London said he had changed and described him as kind, considerate and “really, really polite.”
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