Nipsey Hussle: 19 Injured In Stampede At L.A. Memorial

Nipsey-Hussle-Memorial-Stampede — A photo of rapper Nipsey Hussle, 33, is seen among candles as people gather to mourn him on April 1, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The Grammy-nominated artist was gunned down in broad daylight two days ago in front of The Marathon Clothing store he founded in 2017 on the day he was scheduled to meet with Los Angeles Police Department brass to discuss ways of stopping gang violence. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

A reported 19 people were injured during a memorial honoring slain rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle Monday (April 1), after a stampede caused mourners to flee in a panic and police to control the shaken crowd.

The Los Angeles Times reports the incident started after 8 p.m. PT outside of Nipsey’s Marathon Clothing store where hundreds gathered for a touching vigil for the rapper. Inaccurate reports claimed there were possible stabbings after an alleged shooting, but Police Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department debunked the news on Twitter.

“Our people are on scene making every effort 2 protect everyone in attendance at the Nipsey Hussle vigil,” added on Twitter. “Reports of shots fired at the vigil do not appear to be accurate. We do have injured in the chaos and are attempting to restore order.”

Robert Arcos, an LAPD assistant chief provided clarity to the situation, claiming a fight interrupted the makeshift memorial. One of the people involved was carrying a gun, causing panic in the crowd. Several people were injured from the novena candles that were crushed from the stampede, leading some to believe fans were stabbed.

Nipsey-Hussle-Memorial — APRIL 01: People look for lost possessions in one of the memorials trampled in a stampede at a gathering of hundreds of people mourning the murder of Nipsey Hussle on April 1, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The otherwise peaceful gathering at the site where Hussle was murdered was cut short by a disturbance that reportedly included several stabbings and panicked the crowd. A total of 19 people were taken to hospitals, according to police, including two in critical condition. The Grammy-nominated artist was gunned down in broad daylight in front of The Marathon Clothing store he founded in 2017 on the day he was scheduled to meet with Los Angeles Police Department brass to discuss ways of stopping gang violence. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

One person was seriously injured after being struck by a car. “The majority of the injuries are minor and as a result of trampling injuries from the crowd,” Margaret Stewart, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Fire Department told The New York Times.

The memorial began in a peaceful manner but once the stampede happened police reportedly pushed mourners behind yellow tape in an effort to control the crowd.

Police make a line as the crowd refuses to leave at the corner of Slauson Ave. at Crenshaw Blvd. after vigil for rapper Nipsey Hussle. pic.twitter.com/aKI4Tj6ACn

— Genaro Molina (@GenaroMolina47) April 2, 2019

A suspect has been named in the rapper’s shooting. Eric Holder, known to many as ‘Shitty Cuz,’ and his rapper name, ‘Fly Mac,‘ was identified by the LAPD as a person of interest Monday evening. Holder allegedly shot Nipsey after the two had a tense conversation related to accusations of Holder being an informant.