One person was killed and two more wounded in a shooting down the block from the grand opening of a restaurant tied to slain Southern California rapper Nipsey Hussle.
Nipsey’s brother, Blacc Sam, was on the scene Sunday in Long Beach at the time of the shooting but was not wounded. Videos obtained by TMZ show him crouching behind a car during the gunfire.
Blacc Sam launched the chain, Marathon Burger, after Nipsey’s death in 2019. Nipsey had already started multiple other initiatives under the Marathon brand name and had spoken with his brother about a burger joint.
Sunday’s grand opening in Long Beach was the third Marathon Burger to open across Southern California. The event was attended by Snoop Dogg and YG, along with Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, but they had left before the gunfire erupted, according to TMZ.
The shooting happened outside the event itself, but videos shared on social media still showed attendees scrambling for cover.
“Thousands of residents gathered peacefully in downtown today to celebrate a proud moment for our community,” Richardson said in a statement afterward. “Let me be clear: we will not allow violence to define our downtown or undermine the progress we are making.”
The three victims have not been publicly identified, and police are still investigating a potential motive for the shooting. No arrests have been announced.
Marathon Burger remained open throughout the day and shared photos on social media, including Stevie Wonder stopping in for a meal on Sunday night.