E-Paper
Who really shot Tupac Shakur? Timeline of the 1996 murder as Duane 'Keffe D' Davis is found guilty
Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, a jury has convicted Duane “Keffe D” Davis of orchestrating the murder.
Prefer HTon Google
A Las Vegas jury has found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty in the 1996 murder of rap icon Tupac Shakur. Jurors reached the verdict in less than three hours after a weeks-long trial.
Jurors concluded that Davis, 63, orchestrated the fatal drive-by shooting that killed Shakur, although prosecutors did not allege that he fired the fatal shots.
Davis had pleaded not guilty and has said he plans to appeal. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 13. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty.
Shakur was in the passenger seat of Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight's black BMW on the evening of September 7, 1996, when a white Cadillac drew up on their right side and shooting broke out. Knight was hurt but made it out alive. A week later, Shakur passed away at the age of 25.
Also read: Tupac Shakur family: All on mom Afeni, dad Billy and sisters as Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis found guilty
Did Duane “Keffe D” Davis shoot Tupac Shakur?
For years, Davis publicly discussed his alleged involvement in the shooting. Prosecutors built much of their case around his own statements in interviews, recordings and his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend.
During the trial, jurors heard a 2008 police interview in which Davis told detectives that his nephew Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson fired the shots that killed Shakur, AP reported. According to the recording, Davis said he was inside the white Cadillac with Anderson and two other men when the vehicle approached Shakur’s BMW.
Davis told detectives that he initially had the gun but passed it back after deciding he could not get a clear shot. He said Anderson then took the weapon and fired at Shakur’s car.
Based on his account, prosecutors argued that Davis’s repeated admissions were central evidence. They said he had described the killing for years before his 2023 arrest, including in his memoir.
The defence challenged those statements, arguing Davis exaggerated his role for attention and that investigators never found physical evidence directly linking him to the shooting. A former detective also testified that some of Davis’s claims could not be independently verified.
What happened on the night Tupac was shot?
Tupac Shakur, born in 1971 in New York City, became one of the most influential figures in hip-hop during the 1990s. His music addressed racism, poverty, police brutality and social inequality. He was 25 when he was killed.
On September 7, 1996, Shakur attended the Mike Tyson versus Bruce Seldon boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight and their entourage.
After the fight, Shakur and members of Knight’s group got into a physical altercation with Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, a member of the South Side Compton Crips. Prosecutors later argued the confrontation became the motive for a retaliatory attack.
Later that night, Shakur and Knight were travelling in a black BMW near the Las Vegas Strip. Around 11:15 pm, a white Cadillac pulled alongside the vehicle at a red light. Gunfire erupted from the Cadillac, striking Shakur four times. Knight suffered minor injuries.
Shakur was taken to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where doctors treated his injuries. He died on September 13, 1996, from complications caused by the shooting.
In 1998, Anderson too passed away in an unrelated gang shooting.
Deep Dive
