One man died and two others were wounded when gunfire erupted near the grand opening of Marathon Burger in downtown Long Beach on March first. The shooting happened around three thirty in the afternoon just half a block from the new restaurant at Pine Avenue where dozens of people had lined up to celebrate. Three men in their twenties were struck with one suffering an upper body wound and another a lower body wound while officers provided immediate life saving aid until paramedics arrived and transported all three to area hospitals.
The victim who received critical treatment at the scene later succumbed to his injuries confirming the death toll at one while the remaining two patients remain stable. Bystander video lasting nearly seventy seconds captured the entire shift from celebration to terror starting with festive street scenes of the crowd in casual attire under bright daylight before sudden shots rang out down the block sending people sprinting in every direction with wide eyed panic visible on faces and raw screams echoing alongside running footsteps. The shaky handheld footage shows no interior restaurant views yet clearly documents the rapid arrival of police and fire crews who detained two individuals at the scene amid gurneys and crime tape as chaos unfolded.
Witnesses described a verbal argument that began inside the restaurant and spilled into the street prompting the violence but a spokesperson for Marathon Burger and Long Beach officials have confirmed the incident had no connection to the grand opening event itself noting that security street closures and police presence were already in place. The restaurant continued serving customers even as investigators worked nearby. No suspect description or motive has been released by authorities and the investigation by homicide detectives continues with the grand opening ultimately shut down for the day.
The event had been organized to honor the legacy of Nipsey Hussle whose real name was Ermias Joseph Asghedom and who was fatally shot outside his original Marathon Clothing store in Los Angeles in two thousand nineteen. His brother Samiel Asghedom known as Blacc Sam now leads the expanding franchise which includes this Long Beach location as part of ongoing community focused business efforts. Celebrities including Snoop Dogg joined Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson and other local figures for the ribbon cutting earlier that afternoon in what was intended as a positive tribute to Hussle’s entrepreneurship and activism. Details on the Neighborhood Nip Foundation which supports his vision are available at neighborhoodnipfoundation.com.
This heartbreaking turn of events underscores how quickly community milestones can be interrupted by unresolved violence in urban neighborhoods. Even with strong security and official statements emphasizing the separation from the restaurant the shooting serves as a sobering example of the work still needed to ensure safe public gatherings that celebrate progress rather than end in tragedy. Families of the victims deserve answers as detectives piece together the sequence of events and residents in Long Beach continue to process the contrast between the day’s hopeful start and its painful conclusion. Updates on the probe can be found through the Long Beach Police Department while the Marathon Burger site at marathonburger.com provides information on the new location and menu.
