(Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
One person is dead after a shooting near the grand opening of a new Marathon Burger restaurant in California. Blacc Sam, the late Nipsey Hussle’s brother, and Snoop Dogg partnered to open the newest location in Long Beach. The restaurant had an overwhelming turnout, as documented on social media. By Sunday afternoon, nearby crowds reportedly turned into chaos after deadly gunfire rang out. The shooting follows a separate hometown honor for Nipsey, which his girlfriend, Lauren London, called a manifestation of his.
According to KTLA5, Long Beach PD confirmed one person died in the shooting, though there were multiple victims. The 911 call came in at about 3:30 p.m. local time, citing a shooting near Broadway and Pine Avenue. KTLA reports that it occurred outside Marathon Burger during the grand opening. Long Beach Fire Department responders transported three adult males in their 20s to the hospital. One man was reportedly critically injured and needed life-saving medical attention outside of the restaurant. However, according to a police statement, that same man later died in the hospital.
Police are still investigating what led to the shooting, per KTLA. A witness told the outlet there was a line of 50 to 60 people waiting outside of Marathon Burger that allegedly scattered after hearing the gunfire down the street.
“It was literally chaos for like 10 or 15 seconds. I ducked behind one of the little boards you take photos at over there,” Tyerae Bailey said. “I only heard one gunshot. Thats actually what made me really lock in and take cover.”
Footage from the scene showed a lil’ bit of everything, from firefighters loading a gunshot victim onto a gurney to the arrest of two people.
Speaking to KTLA, Marathon Burger shut down any talks of the deadly incident being connected to the restaurant or its grand opening.
“The opening was a huge success with strong community support. The incident being reported was NOT connected to our event or even within our block party. The opening itself proceeded safely and without issue. The restaurant remains open and customers are still flowing in and out,” the statement read in part.
The statement seems to align with the vibes in photos and videos prior to the shooting. The Shade Room, for example, shared multiple slides that included Blacc Sam and Snoop Dogg outside and inside of the restaurant as well as other celeb visitors. At one point, Stevie Wonder was in the building!
On Instagram, Marathon Burger called the turnout “simply incredible.” Adding, “Thank you for the warm welcome today as we celebrated our 1-Year Anniversary and Grand Opening. The energy was electric from start to finish. We are excited to continue building memories with the community at our new store. See you again very soon.”
Also this weekend, the Hussle family, including the late rapper’s girlfriend Lauren London, celebrated the renaming of an intersection in his honor. On Saturday, a sign went up on Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard honoring the area as “Nipsey Hussle Square.”
Lauren also shared an inspiring story about Nipsey Hussle manifesting the renaming of the area. Watch the touching moment below!
