LAPD Talks Surge In Shootings, Death Of Nipsey Hussle: Live Video

LOS ANGELES, CA — As Police searched Tuesday for a man suspected of shooting and killing rapper Nipsey Hussle outside his South LA clothing store, Los Angeles Police Chief Michael Moore addressed a search in violence citywide that took the lives of 10 people.

Over the course of the last week, 26 people were shot in the city and 10 were killed. The onslaught of gun violence has swathes of the city on edge, culminating in a stampede that injured 19 people Monday night at a spontaneous memorial for Hussle. A fight broke out at West Slauson Avenue where hundreds had gathered outside Marathon Clothing, where Hussle was shot to death Sunday. Though Hussle was slated to meet with LAPD leaders to address the surge in gang violence Monday, investigators believe he was killed as a result of a personal feud.

The widespread sense of unease prompted the USC Department of Public Safety Tuesday morning released a statement "regarding baseless reports circulating on social media that there is a pending gang-related crime spree about to occur in the USC area in response to the murder of a popular local rap artist."

"There is no evidence that these rumors are credible or that there is any threat to our campus community. DPS has confirmed with South Los Angeles gang interventionists and LAPD's gang unit that there is no evidence to support the social media rumors. Nonetheless, DPS and LAPD are being extra vigilant in their patrols and ask that students are careful to practice safe behaviors such as not walking alone off campus after dark, taking Campus Cruiser or Lyft, and immediately reporting any suspicious circumstances to DPS."

Within an hour of Sundays shooting, police identified Hussle's suspected killer as Eric Holder, 29, of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Investigators said Holder got into a dispute with the rapper before the shooting. Details of what the dispute was over were not immediately disclosed. The same sources told the paper detectives believe Holder has gang ties but the motive for the shooting was personal and not gang-related. Police scheduled a news conference for 8:30 a.m. to provide an update on the murder investigation.

Holder was last seen Sunday fleeing the shooting scene in a white, four-door 2016 Chevrolet Cruze with California license plate 7RJD742 driven by an unidentified female, police said.

Holder allegedly walked up to three men, including Hussle, who were standing in front of The Marathon Clothing store in the 3400 block of West Slauson Avenue, near Crenshaw Boulevard in the Hyde Park area of Los Angeles, around 3:20 p.m. Sunday and fired numerous shots at them, striking the victims who fell to the ground, the LAPD said.

Holder then ran southbound through a nearby alley to the waiting Cruze, police said.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Holder was asked to call LAPD's South Bureau Homicide detectives at (323) 786-5100 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

Two victims were taken to a hospital and one declined treatment at the scene. Hussle, 33, was pronounced dead at a hospital, authorities said.

Surveillance video from a business across the street obtained by TMZ shows what appears to be a suspect walking to the clothing store, where multiple people were standing outside. The shooting occurs quickly afterward, although it cannot be clearly seen on the video. But one person can be seen falling to the ground, and at least three people are seen running from the parking lot.

At a candlelight vigil for Hussle outside The Marathon Clothing store Monday night, a stampede occurred and a total of 19 people were taken to hospitals. Two victims were in critical condition, two in serious condition and 15 others suffered non-life threatening injuries, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

One of the critically injured was hurt in a vehicle versus pedestrian accident and the second suffered a "penetrating, traumatic injury with cause unknown," Stewart said.

There was no evidence of any gunshot wounds and the majority of injuries people suffered were "trample injuries" sustained as the crowd ran from the scene, she said.

It was not immediately clear what prompted the stampede.

According to NBC4, a fight broke out at the vigil and led to a stabbing.

A representative from Mayor Eric Garcetti's office told ABC7 all the candles left at Hussle's memorial will be moved to one location and Los Angeles Sanitation Bureau workers will be at the scene at 5 a.m. to clean up the debris. The representative said they want to create a location where people can safely mourn Hussle, ABC7 reported.

Hussle transformed himself from a Rollin' 60s Crip to a rap musician and channeled his success into efforts to help other stay out of gangs, according to the Los Angeles Times. He bought shoes for students, re-paved basketball courts and provided jobs and shelter for the homeless, the newspaper reported.

Hussle helped renovate a Mid-City roller rink and redeveloped the strip mall that housed his Marathon Clothing shop where he was fatally wounded.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.