Detectives in Long Beach have launched a homicide investigation after a fatal shooting Sunday caused chaos in the busy downtown corridor and disrupted the grand opening of Nipsey Hussle-inspired restaurant Marathon Burger.
The March 1 event celebrating the opening of the third burger spot under the late rapper’s music, lifestyle and entertainment brand Marathon drew large crowds to the area of Pine Avenue and East Broadway.
Long Beach Police Department officials said officers assigned to patrol the area heard an altercation unfolding just after 3:30 p.m. and, while responding, heard gunfire coming from inside a parking garage in the 200 block of Pine Avenue.
“Officers responded and saw a male adult victim with a gunshot wound,” a LBPD news release stated. “Officers rendered medical aid until relieved by Long Beach Fire Department personnel, who transported the victim to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.”
Two additional male victims who suffered non-life-threatening injuries were located and taken to the hospital for treatment.
All three victims were in their late teens or early 20s, police said.
Tyerae Bailey, who witnessed some of the ordeal, told KTLA that about 50 to 60 people were waiting in line outside Marathon Burgers when, all of a sudden, the crowd started running after shots rang out down the block.
“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.”
In cellphone video obtained by KTLA that captured the immediate aftermath of the violence, two people, a male and a female, were seen being placed into the back of separate police cruisers. However, it’s unclear if they are suspects in the investigation.
Detectives said on Tuesday that no suspect information is available at this time and that a motive in the deadly shooting remains unknown.
One was killed and two others injured after gunfire erupted outside the grand opening of the Nipsey Hussle-branded Marathon Burgers in Long Beach on March 1, 2026. (IG @Prezz_TY)
One was killed and two others injured after gunfire erupted outside the grand opening of the Nipsey Hussle-branded Marathon Burgers in Long Beach on March 1, 2026. (IG @Prezz_TY)
One was killed and two others injured after gunfire erupted outside the grand opening of the Nipsey Hussle-branded Marathon Burgers in Long Beach on March 1, 2026. (IG @Prezz_TY)
One was killed and two others injured after gunfire erupted outside the grand opening of the Nipsey Hussle-branded Marathon Burgers in Long Beach on March 1, 2026. (IG @Prezz_TY)
One was killed and two others injured after gunfire erupted outside the grand opening of the Nipsey Hussle-branded Marathon Burgers in Long Beach on March 1, 2026. (Citizen)
One was killed and two others injured after gunfire erupted outside the grand opening of the Nipsey Hussle-branded Marathon Burgers in Long Beach on March 1, 2026. (Citizen)
One was killed and two others injured after gunfire erupted outside the grand opening of the Nipsey Hussle-branded Marathon Burgers in Long Beach on March 1, 2026. (KTLA)
A slew of well-known artists, including Snoop Dogg, who is an investor in the burger franchise, Stevie Wonder and YG, attended the event. Hussle’s older brother, longtime collaborator and the person ultimately responsible for bringing the slain rapper’s vision to life, “Blacc Sam” Asghedom, along with Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, also attended the red ribbon cutting ceremony.
A Marathon Burger spokesperson told KTLA that shooting was in no way connected to the location’s grand opening and that the restaurant remained open despite the very large crime scene cordoned off by police that closed the promenade between Broadway and Pine Avenue for hours.
Pastor of Baptist church in L.A. accused of pushing female elder down cement steps
The mayor later released a statement saying he was outraged and saddened by the violence but grateful for local law enforcement’s swift response.
“Let me be clear: we will not allow violence to define our downtown or undermine the progress we are making,” the statement continued. “We will not retreat from investing in safe, active public places. Public safety remains our top priority.”
The identity of the deceased victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
While the remain investigation remains ongoing, detectives believe there may be additional witnesses and are urging anyone with information to contact the Long Beach Police Department Homicide Detective Eric Thai and Chasen Contreras at 562-570-7244. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477 or leave tips online at www.lacrimestoppers.org.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.