When he was murdered three years ago, Nipsey Hussle’s death at age 33 triggered an outpouring of grief in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Crenshaw where the entrepreneur, community activist and hip-hop artist lived.

Hussle’s killer, Eric “Shitty Cuz” Holder, was arrested and charged with the March 31, 2019 murder. Holder is facing up to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder.

Hussle, born Ermias Joseph Asghedom, had been a member of the local Rollin’ 60s Crips before moving on to become a motivational lyricist and community ambassador who hoped to expand his Marathon Clothing store into a retail empire.

Hussle was fatally shot in the parking lot of the store by Holder, who was also a member of the Rollin’ 60s Crips and felt disrespected by Hussle, prosecutors told the jury.

Holder’s lawyers argued that the shooting was not premeditated and they had hoped for a lesser conviction of voluntary manslaughter. They said Holder shot Hussle in the “heat of passion,” about nine minutes after a conversation in which Hussle brought up rumors that Holder had snitched to the police — a serious offense in the gang world, New York Times reported.

“Eric’s state of mind is: ‘I’m in this group, I grew up with them in the neighborhood, and now Nipsey Hussle is outing me as a snitch,’” said Aaron Jansen, the public defender representing Holder. 

Hussle was known for his collaborations and goodwill in the music industry, where he worked for more than 15 years before releasing his commercial debut album in 2018, the year before he was murdered. Hussle promoted Black empowerment through business ownership and reinvested his earnings in Crenshaw, where both he and Holder grew up.

Holder has also been charged with attempted voluntary manslaughter for injuring two bystanders in the shooting. Prosecutors had sought higher charges of attempted murder.