Eric Holder was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting to death of rapper Nipsey Hussle.
Eric Holder Found Guilty
He was convicted of first-degree murder, two charges of attempted voluntary manslaughter, and handgun possession.
He was found not guilty of attempted murder in the 2019 gunfire attack that wounded two persons.
Holder faces life in jail if convicted. He entered a not guilty plea.
Attorney for Holder Aaron Jansen told ABC News there was "great sadness" after the conviction.
"It was always going to be tough given the high profile circumstances surrounding the case," Jansen said. "We are grateful that the jury agreed with us, in part, that the case was overcharged and voted to acquit Mr. Holder, Jr. of the two attempted murder charges."
Holder intends to file an appeal, according Jansen.
Hussle, a Grammy-winning rapper whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, was fatally shot outside of his clothes store in South Los Angeles in March 2019.
Hussle was reportedly standing in a parking lot when Holder allegedly approached and fired multiple shots at him, according to authorities. Hussle was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. Two additional people were injured.
The coroner confirmed the rapper died from head and torso gunshot wounds and ruled the manner of death to be a homicide.
Holder's sentencing is set for September 15.
Nipsey Hussle Dead After 'Snitch' Allegations
Hussle, whose true name was Ermias Asghedom, was fatally shot and killed on March 31, 2019, outside of a clothes business he owned in South Los Angeles.
Police quickly attributed the murder to a personal feud.
Two days after the incident, in which two spectators were also injured, Mr. Holder, then 29 years old, reported himself to a mental health clinic, his attorney testified at trial.
Then, Mr. Holder was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and felon-in-possession of a handgun. He entered a not guilty plea and was jailed on $6.5 million bail.
Los Angeles County prosecutors argued at trial that Mr. Holder and 33-year-old Hussle, two old acquaintances who belonged to the same street gang, had a chance encounter in a strip mall parking lot. Things escalated quickly when Hussle mentioned neighborhood rumors that Mr. Holder had cooperated with law enforcement.
This constituted "a very serious offense" in the gang world. Prosecutors and witnesses claim that Mr. Holder returned minutes later with two handguns and opened fire repeatedly. It ended with Hussle dead.
Mr. Holder was charged with first-degree murder after prosecutors determined that the crime was premeditated. During the trial, Mr. Holder's public counsel, Aaron Jansen, admitted that his client had pulled the trigger.
However, he contended that the crime was committed in the "heat of passion" and that Mr. Holder should have been charged with voluntary manslaughter instead.
The jury's verdict indicated that the panel agreed with the prosecutors that Mr. Holder made the decision to kill Hussle as he returned to his car, loaded a gun, ate some fries, and then returned to the parking lot to confront the rapper. There is no "heat of passion" anything there.
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