A shooting, which unfolded near the opening of a burger restaurant in Long Beach, has left one person dead and at least two injured.
Gunshots were heard on Sunday afternoon, as crowds gathered at Marathon Burger. The fast-food restaurant is one of several projects envisioned by the late rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was killed in 2019.
The busy opening event was attended by a slew of celebrities, including Stevie Wonder and hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg.
Police confirmed to ABC 7 that the shooting began half a block away from the event at around 3.30 pm.
Eric VanDyke, one of Hussle’s relatives, told the broadcaster that he saw panicked diners fleeing the scene.
“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.
Another witness, Tyerae Bailey, told KTLA that around 50 to 60 people were waiting in line when the gunfire was heard.
“It was literally chaos for like 10 or 15 seconds. I ducked behind one of the little boards you take photos at over there,” he said. “I only heard one gunshot. That’s actually what made me really lock in and take cover.”
According to KTLA, three adult men in their twenties were rushed to the hospital by medical personnel working with the Long Beach Fire Department. One of the men was in critical condition at the scene and later died at the hospital.
A spokesperson for Marathon Burger told CBS News that the shooting was not connected to the restaurant’s opening.
“The opening was a huge success with strong community support,” the spokesperson said. “There was an incident nearby, but it was not connected to the event.
“The opening itself proceeded safely and without issue.”
Westley Bradford, another witness, told Fox LA that there was a lot of excitement surrounding the event before the gunshots were heard.
“It looked like a Mardi Gras. It was packed,” he said. “The streets were full. The vibe was good. Everyone was vibing until…boom.”
Video footage of the opening was uploaded to Marathon Burger’s Instagram account. In one video, Snoop Dogg told diners that he hopes the restaurant’s opening will set an “example for the youth.”
“We thank y’all for coming out, we love y’all,” he adds. “L.B.C in the house tonight.”
Marathon Burgers captioned the video, “Don’t let the media fool you, it was a beautiful energy in the atmosphere today. It was so packed and powerful someone had to hate on it.”
According to TMZ, the hip-hop star had left the scene before the gunfire was heard.
Andrea Moran, a spokesperson for the Long Beach Police Department, told The Long Beach Post that the motive behind the shooting remains unknown. She also confirmed that no arrests have been made.
According to KTLA, a man and a woman were seen being handcuffed and placed in separate police cruisers at the scene. However, their identities remain unknown.
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 killed 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.
VanDyke told ABC 7 that the late rapper would have wanted the opening of his burger restaurant to be a “happy occasion.”
“It was disappointing because I know that Nip, Blacc Sam [Nipsey Hussle’s brother] 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.
The Independent has contacted the Long Beach Police Department and The Marathon for comment.
