Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a 60-year-old man, has been charged with the murder of hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur, 25 years after Shakur’s fatal shooting in Las Vegas. Davis, who had previously admitted his involvement in the slaying, was arrested following a lengthy investigation into the murder.
The shooting of Tupac Shakur, a prominent hip-hop artist known for hits like “California Love” and “Changes,” occurred on September 7, 1996, when he was just 25 years old. Shakur was signed to Death Row Records, which had associations with the Mob Piru street gang. The shooting took place amid a longstanding feud between Mob Piru and the Southside Compton Crips, with whom Orlando Anderson, the nephew of Davis, was affiliated.
According to prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo, on the day of the murder, Davis formulated a plan to seek revenge for the assault on Anderson by targeting Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight. Davis reportedly acquired a Glock firearm and provided it to one of the individuals involved in the attack.
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The shooting occurred when Shakur and Knight were spotted in a car on a Las Vegas street. The assailants pulled up alongside the vehicle, and a passenger in the back seat fired multiple rounds, striking both Knight and Shakur. Shakur died in the hospital several days later, while Knight survived.
Davis’ recent arrest came after he published an autobiography and discussed the crime for a TV show, admitting to his role as the “on-site commander” in the effort to kill Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight. He was the only person in the car that night who was still alive.
The murder of Tupac Shakur was a significant event in the history of hip-hop and marked the escalation of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop rivalry. Shakur’s murder was followed by the shooting death of his rival, East Coast rapper Christopher “The Notorious BIG” Wallace, six months later in Los Angeles.
The case remained unsolved for years, leading to accusations that law enforcement was not doing enough to find the killers of young Black men. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill emphasized that their goal has always been to hold those responsible for Tupac’s murder accountable, refuting claims that the case was not considered important to the police department.
The prosecution’s case against Davis is set to move forward, with a court hearing scheduled for the near future.
