Petition to Rename Corner of Slauson and Crenshaw Becomes Viral – CBS Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – An online petition to rename an intersection in South Los Angeles after the murder of rapper and killed community activist Nipsey Hussle has collected hundreds of thousands of signatures in just a few days.

The exchange.org petition calls on Councilor L.A. Marqueece Harris-Dawson to contribute to the effort to rename the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue into "Nipsey Hussle Blvd".

The petition, launched Monday, collected more than 340,000 signatures Wednesday night.

Hussle, whose real name is Ermias Joseph Asghedom, was shot dead Sunday in block 3400 of West Slauson Avenue. An autopsy on Monday revealed that Hussle had been shot in the head and torso, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

The Grammy nominated rapper was shot dead in front of The Marathon Clothing, a store that he opened in 2017, in the Hyde Park neighborhood just south of the Crenshaw area where he was born and raised. It was one of the newest companies in which he had been involved in giving back to his community.

RELATED: "He came back to help": rapper Nipsey Hussle was on a mission to restore his life before a tragic death

In addition to opening the clothing store, Hussle has recently opened an apartment building for low-income families and a hair salon. Danielle Jakes, a childhood friend, said the world had lost a good family man with an incredible talent.

"Most successful people do not come back. He came back. He came back to help, "she said. "All that gangbanging stuff, it's madness." Love, that's what he was, my love.

Eric Holder, 29, suspected of murdering Hussle, was arrested on Tuesday. The holder is held on bail of $ 7 million.

City Councilor Harris-Dawson has not yet publicly responded to the petition, but he has published tributes on social media.