Marathon Burger Grand Opening Shooting in Long Beach Kills One, Wounds Two

One man later died and two others were hospitalized after shots were fired near the Marathon Burger grand opening in downtown Long Beach at about 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 1, the Long Beach Police Department said, placing the incident in the 200 block of Pine Avenue near Pine and Broadway. Officers rendered aid at the scene; “Officers responded and saw a male adult victim with a gunshot wound. 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,” police said. At the time of reporting, LBPD had made no arrests and had not released a motive.

Hundreds had gathered earlier for the ribbon-cutting and community event honoring the late rapper Nipsey Hussle, and celebrity guests including Snoop Dogg participated in the opening ceremonies. Snoop Dogg cut the ribbon, flipped burgers and greeted fans, and organizers reported that Stevie Wonder was inside the restaurant ordering and shaking hands with staff. Marathon Burger described the Long Beach location as the chain’s third outpost, following openings in Los Angeles and Venice, and the Long Beach store opened in partnership with the Broadus family.

Marathon Burger representatives said security measures and police presence were in place for the event. Casey Parker, a Marathon Burger representative, told local reporters, “It wasn’t related to the restaurant at all. People were eating ice cream and playing basketball games.” The company later called the opening a “huge success” and said the restaurant continued to take orders while investigators worked behind crime-scene tape just outside the front door.

Eyewitness videos and on-scene footage posted after the shooting showed crowds fleeing and at least one person being loaded onto a gurney, with later clips depicting officers pinning a man to the ground near a parking lot. Some coverage identified two of the injured as men in their 20s who were rushed to area hospitals; authorities have not released the names or ages of the victims, and hospital confirmations have not been publicly disclosed.

Family and community voices at the scene said the violence marred a day meant to honor Nipsey Hussle. Eric VanDyke, identified at the event as a relative of Hussle, said, “I saw people running. When you see a mass of people running, you know something's going on, and they ran in one direction, and then the other direction, then somebody said that they heard gunshots.” A nearby resident who identified themself as Seven said, “That's devastating, you know what I'm saying, especially being that this is the grand opening. We're here to honor Nipsey Hussle, the late great, and that's not what he would have wanted.” Another attendee, identified as Bailey, urged the community not to let the shooting discredit the day's events.

Police said investigators were examining video and witness statements to determine whether the shooting was connected to the grand opening; LBPD reiterated that no suspects were in custody as the investigation continued. The Long Beach Fire Department transported the wounded to local hospitals, and authorities have not released additional case details or suspect descriptions.