The trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, accused of orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed rapper Tupac Shakur, has begun in Las Vegas, three decades after the incident, lbc.co.uk.
Tupac Shakur died on September 13, 1996, a week after being shot in a drive-by attack in Las Vegas. Duane Davis, 63, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips gang, is charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon. He has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors allege Davis ordered the killing in retaliation for an attack on his nephew, Orlando Anderson, who was involved in a fight with Shakur at a casino following a Mike Tyson bout. Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told the court that Davis believed the assault on his nephew “could not go unanswered”.
Police reopened the case after Davis publicly discussed his role in interviews, a book and podcasts, despite previously speaking privately to investigators. He was arrested near his Las Vegas home in September 2023.
Witness testimony described the chaos of the shooting. Ingrid Stokes, present on the night of September 7, 1996, recalled driving near Shakur and Death Row Records boss Marion “Suge” Knight before hearing gunfire. “All hell broke loose,” she told the court.
The defence argues there is no evidence Davis planned the murder, maintaining his innocence as proceedings continue at Clark County District Court.
Shakur’s killing has remained one of hip-hop’s most infamous unsolved cases, fuelling speculation and conspiracy theories for decades. The trial marks the first time a suspect has faced prosecution in connection with the rapper’s death.