LA deputies arrest suspect in Nipsey Hussle killing

April 2 (UPI) -- Deputies captured a man suspected in the fatal shooting of rapper Nipsey Hussle, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday.

The sheriff's department said Eric Holder, 29, was arrested and taken into custody in the afternoon.

Holder was arrested before 1:30 p.m. and Los Angeles police officers responded to the scene to confirm his identity, CBS Los Angeles reported.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore said Holder approached Hussle multiple times Sunday before carrying out the shooting.

"Mr. Holder walked up on multiple occasions and engaged in a conversation with Nipsey and the others that were there. He left and subsequently came back armed with a handgun, and purposefully and repeatedly fired, striking and killing Nipsey Hussle," Moore said.

The 33-year-old Grammy-nominated rapper, who was born Ermias Ashgedom, was fatally shot Sunday, a day before he was set to meet with police to discuss gang violence, outside his clothing store in Los Angeles. The shooting also injured two others, but not seriously.

Detectives told the Los Angeles Times they believe Holder has gang ties, but the motive was likely some personal dispute between the two men rather than a larger gang feud.

"We join as does all of Los Angeles in a somber day, in the aftermath of another senseless homicide of an individual who posed such an opportunity to step into a conversation to help this city work its way through a sickness, a challenge, a seemingly tragic love affair with gun violence," Moore said in a news conference Tuesday about the killing and other violence in the city.

Moore said there has been an increase in gang violence in south Los Angeles in recent weeks, bucking a larger declining trend in the city over the past year.

Violence is still currently "below all-time highs, but Nipsey Hussle represents the enormity of lives that we have lost," Moore said. "I am devastated by that because this was a voice that was trying to help."

Los Angeles averaged about 13 shooting victims a week in the first two months of the year, Moore said, which was down from last year and the previous year.

In March, however, that rate doubled to 26, mostly clustered in south Los Angeles, he said.

"This horrible thing happened one day before we had this meeting," Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff said at the Tuesday news conference, referring to the planned meeting with Hussle on gang violence.

Soboroff added that he will work with Hussle's family and other faith and community leaders to continue the conversation on gang violence.

CNN obtained graphic surveillance video, which shows a gunman walking up to Hussle and two other men before opening fire. Hussle fell to the ground and the two other victims ran away.

The rapper died from a gunshot wound to the head, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said.

A vigil on Monday night for him outside of his store turned violent and several people injured.

Moore called for people "to bring peace" as people continue to mourn Hussle.

Moore said Holder was identified as a suspect from video evidence and other community tips.