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On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, Eric Holder Jr. was sentenced to 60 years in prison over his role in the 2019 shooting death of American rapper Nipsey Hussle. He was found guilty of first-degree murder in July 2022 but was not eligible for the death penalty.
Superior Court Judge H. Clay announced Holder’s sentencing after hearing testimony from one of Hussle's friends and reading a letter from Holder's father. In addition to the murder charges, the perpetrator was also found guilty of attempted voluntary manslaughter.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Holder will serve 25 years to life in state prison for Hussle's murder and an additional 25 years to life “based on a sentencing enhancement” because of the use of a gun.
He will also serve another 10 years in prison for shooting two bystanders alongside the rapper. Following the sentencing, Holder’s attorney Aaron Jansen told ABC News that he plans to appeal the verdict:
“It was always going to be tough given the high-profile circumstances surrounding the case.”
During the trial, prosecutors claimed Holder’s attack on Hussle was premeditated, but the gunman’s defense said it was a heat-of-the-moment decision. Holder’s attorney argued that the shooting took place as he was provoked by a conversation he had with the rapper about rumors of cooperating with the police.
As per The Associated Press, Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney John McKinney told the court that on March 31, 2019, Holder shot Hussle 10 times in the parking lot of the latter’s store, Marathon Clothing, in South Central Los Angeles.
Holder also allegedly kicked Hussle in the head after the shooting and injured two bystanders in the gunfire before fleeing the scene. Reports suggest that Holder did not react while the sentence was read aloud in a Los Angeles courtroom.
In the wake of Eric Holder Jr.'s sentencing, some social media users wondered if the shooter was related to former United States Attorney General Eric Himpton Holder Jr., as they shared the same name.
However, reports revealed that the duo had no connection to each other and Nipsey Hussle’s convicted murderer is not related to the former attorney general.
Is there a connection between Eric Holder Jr. and Eric Himpton Holder Jr.?
Nipsey Hussle’s shooter Eric Holder Jr. and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Himpton Holder Jr. reportedly have no connection to each other.
In the wake of the former’s sentencing, netizens question if there was a connection between the two due to their shared names.
One Twitter user asked:
“Is this perp the SON OF FORMER OBAMA ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER???”
Another added:
Despite the speculation, Eric Holder Jr. is not related to the former attorney general. While not much is known about the former’s parents and family, the latter was born to Eric Himpton Holder Sr. and Miriam. Both of his parents had Barbadian roots.
The former attorney general is 72 years old and was the first African-American to serve in the role during President Barack Obama's administration. He is married to obstetrician Sharon Malone, and the couple are proud parents to three children.
