Nearly three decades after the death of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur, former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis is facing trial in Las Vegas over allegations that he played a role in the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed the hip-hop icon.
Jury selection has begun in the highly anticipated case, which prosecutors say could finally bring answers to one of the most famous unsolved murders in music history. Davis, 63, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder with a deadly weapon connected to gang activity.
Tupac Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, while riding in a BMW with Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight near the Las Vegas Strip. Shakur died six days later at the age of 25, leaving behind a global legacy as one of the most influential figures in hip-hop.
Authorities allege Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, helped organise the attack following a confrontation involving his nephew Orlando Anderson and Shakur earlier that night. Prosecutors claim Davis was the “shot caller” who helped arrange the revenge attack and provided access to the weapon used.
Davis has never been accused of pulling the trigger. Prosecutors are instead relying heavily on statements he made over the years, including interviews and a 2019 memoir in which he discussed his involvement and his presence in the vehicle connected to the shooting. His defence team has argued that some of those statements were exaggerated for publicity.
The case remained unsolved for decades before authorities revived the investigation. Davis was arrested in 2023 after a grand jury indictment, making him the only person ever charged in connection with Shakur’s killing.
The trial is expected to revisit the violent rivalry between rival hip-hop circles during the 1990s, including tensions between groups associated with the East Coast and West Coast rap scenes. Prosecutors are expected to present testimony from people connected to the events surrounding the shooting.
One potential witness attracting attention is Suge Knight, who was driving the vehicle when Shakur was attacked. Knight survived the shooting but is currently serving a prison sentence for an unrelated case. Whether he will testify remains uncertain.
For Tupac’s family, fans and the wider music community, the trial represents a long-awaited moment in a case that has remained one of entertainment’s biggest mysteries for almost 30 years.
