One k!lled during opening of late rapper Nipsey Hussle’s Marathon Burger
The grand opening of Marathon Burger in downtown Long Beach, a much-anticipated celebration honoring the legacy of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle, was marred by tragedy on Sunday, March 1, 2026, when gunfire erupted just steps away from the festivities.
The highly anticipated grand opening of Marathon Burger in downtown Long Beach, an event meant to celebrate the legacy of late rapper Nipsey Hussle, was overshadowed by tragedy on Sunday, March 1, 2026, after gunfire broke out just steps from the celebration. Police said gunfire erupted just after 3:30 p.m. about half a block south of the event on Broadway near Pine Avenue, just outside of the perimeter that had been blocked off for the celebration. Hundreds of people had gathered earlier in the day for the opening of a new Marathon Burger location, the fast food chain founded by the late rapper Nipsey Hussle and his brother, Black Sam.
Witness Eric VanDyke, a relative of Hussle, said he saw the panic unfold.
“I saw people running. When you see a mass of people running, you know something’s going on, and they ran in one direction, and then the other direction, then somebody said that they heard gunshots,” he said.
VanDyke said the violence overshadowed the spirit of the day.
“It was disappointing because I know that Nip, Black Sam wanted this to be a happy occasion, so it’s unfortunate that something happened that would bring more attention to the negative elements as opposed to the positive elements,” he said.
Police said three men were shot and taken to a hospital, where one later died. The other two remained in stable condition on Sunday night.
That’s devastating, you know what I’m saying, especially being that this is the grand opening. We’re here to honor Nipsey Hussle, the late great, and that’s not what he would have wanted,” nearby resident Seven said.
Long Beach police said no suspects were in custody and the investigation remained ongoing.
The shooting unfolded just a day after a ceremony renaming the intersection connecting Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue as Nipsey Hussle Square.
The event had been attended by Hussle’s former partner, Lauren London, and was held near the original location of The Marathon clothing store.
Hussle was k!lled outside of one of his stores in 2019 at the age of 33. A 29-year-old man named Eric Ronald Holder Jr was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the killing in 2023.