19 Injured In Stampede At Nipsey Hussle Memorial

LOS ANGELES, CA — At least 19 people were injured when a spontaneous memorial for slain rapper Nipsey Hussle outside his Marathon Clothing in South Los Angeles turned into a stampede Monday night.

A fight and possible stabbing within the crowd of hundreds appears to have triggered the stampede, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Candles and flowers that had been placed around the scene were also crushed in the stampede, and police in riot gear lined up to begin crowd clearing efforts Monday night.

"Reports of a shooting appear to be erroneous. There was some sort of incident, possibly a fight that set off a stampede of people leaving the scene," said LAPD Detective Meghan Aguilar.

Two people were critically injured and taken to a hospital, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. At least one of the critically injured patients was hurt in a car versus pedestrian accident and the other suffered a "penetrating, traumatic injury," Stewart said. There was no evidence of any gunshot wounds and the majority of injuries were related to patients being trampled when the crowd rushed out.

At least one was possibly stabbed, according to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Tony Im.

"We know people are hurt," said LAPD Spokesman Tony Im. "They are being treated as we speak."

The chaotic scene broke out in a community on edge and beset by violence. Hussle was killed at the scene the day before, capping a deadly week, including 26 shootings and 10 homicides in the city. On Monday, Hussle a one-time gang member, was scheduled to meet with Los Angeles Police officials to discuss ways the community can work together to curb the violence.

RELATED: Nipsey Hussle Was Working To Curb Gang Violence When He Was Shot

Hussle, 33, was shot to death by a brazen gunman in broad daylight around 3:20 p.m. Sunday in the 3400 block of West Slauson Avenue, in front the store he founded in 2017 near Crenshaw Boulevard in South Los Angeles. Two other men were wounded in the shooting. On Monday night, investigators said Eric Holder, 29, of Los Angeles, shot and killed the rapper, and a manhunt was underway.

News of his murder shocked the hip-hop world as well as city leaders. A one-time crip turned Grammy-nominated rapper, Hussle parlayed his fame into community activism in his South LA neighborhood. Police officials confirmed Monday that Chief Michael Moore was scheduled to meet with Hussle Monday to address the surge in violence plaguing the city.

``We were meeting at the request of (Hussle) with him and (Jay-Z'sproduction company Roc Nation) ... to talk about ways he could help stop gangviolence and help us help kids,'' Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff wrote on his Twitter page Sunday night. ``I'm so very sad.''

City News Service contributed to this report.