As the Los Angeles police continue searching for the gunman who murdered Nipsey Hussle in broad daylight outside of his clothing store, sources close to the investigation suggest the killing may have been gang-related.

The Los Angeles Times reports that a law enforcement source close to the investigation said the shooter, described as a “Black male,” was likely affiliated with a gang.

The source told the LA Times that a young man opened fire at close range around 3:20 p.m. and fled in a getaway car. The 33-year-old rapper was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“The suspect in the shooting is described as a male black & LAPD South Bureau Homicide is conducting an investigation to locate him and anyone else involved. You can expect the area of Slauson & Crenshaw to be impacted by streets closures & heavy traffic for several hours,” the LAPD tweeted.

The shooting occurred the day before Nipsey Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, was scheduled to meet with LAPD Chief Michel Moore and Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff to discuss ways to end gang violence in the city.

When Nipsey Hussle was a teenager, he joined the Rollin’ 60s, a clique within the Crips gang. Hussle spoke openly about the trauma he experienced during his days with the gang.

“We dealt with death, with murder,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2018. “It was like living in a war zone, where people die on these blocks and everybody is a little bit immune to it. I guess they call it post-traumatic stress, when you have people that have been at war for such a long time. I think L.A. suffers from that because it’s not normal, yet we embrace it like it is after a while.”

Despite having a connection to a powerful Los Angeles gang, Nipsey Hussle worked hard to empower the community and lead young folks away from a life of gang violence.

Many people with knowledge of Los Angeles gang culture find it unlikely that Hussle was killed in a street-gang dispute. Some suggested Hussle’s murder was tied to a documentary he was creating on the trial of Dr. Sebi.

While the LAPD continue their investigation, they have urged anyone with information related to the case to come forward. Los Angeles officials also warned against anyone planning a retaliation.

“Violent retaliation for this event will not be tolerated,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas told the Times. “Our communities have lost too many young men and bright futures to the scourge of gun violence. For healing to occur, even from this terrible incident, justice must be sought through legal means, and community peace must be found.”