Ex-gang leader charged with rapper Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder

A man has been charged in Las Vegas with the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur.

The hip-hop star – regarded as one of the most influential rappers of all time – was shot dead in the Nevada city in September 1996.

However, his shooter has never been identified, and the case has frustrated investigators and fascinated the public ever since.

A Nevada grand jury has now indicted 60-year-old Duane “Keffe D” Davis on a charge of murder with use of a deadly weapon.

In a press conference on Friday, Clark County Sheriff, Kevin McMahill, said Tupac’s family had been waiting 27 years for justice.

“This investigation started on 7 September 1996. It is far from over,” he said.

“While I know there’s been many people who did not believe that the murder of Tupac Shakur was important to this police department, I’m here to tell you that is simply not the case.

“Our goal has always been to hold those accountable, accountable.”

Davis is the uncle of Orlando Anderson – one of Tupac’s known rivals – who authorities have long suspected in the rapper’s death

Anderson was involved in a casino brawl involving Tupac and his associates on the night of the star’s death.

He denied any involvement in the rapper’s killing at the time. Anderson died two years later in an unrelated gang shooting.

Davis, who at the time was a member of the Los Angeles-based South Side Compton Crips gang, admitted in previous interviews and in his 2019 tell-all memoir, “Compton Street Legend” that he was in the car allegedly used in the attack.

At the press conference on Friday, Homicide Lieutenant Jason Johansson, of the Las Vegas Police Department, called Davis the “leader and shot caller” in the shooting.

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He said Davis had planned the attack as “retaliation” for the earlier incident in the casino involving Anderson.

“Word spread among the South Side Compton Crips about what had occurred [in the casino],” Lt Johansson told the press conference.

“That is when Davis began to devise a plan to obtain a firearm and retaliate for what had occurred.”.

At the time of his death, Tupac was one of the leading figures in the West Coast hip-hop scene, with hits including “California Love” and “Dear Mama”.

Known by his stage name 2Pac, the New York-born rapper found fame with his debut album 2Pacalypse Now and was nominated for six Grammy Awards throughout his music career.

Anderson was involved in a casino brawl involving Tupac and his associates on the night of the star’s death.

He denied any involvement in the rapper’s killing at the time. Anderson died two years later in an unrelated gang shooting.

Davis, who at the time was a member of the Los Angeles-based South Side Compton Crips gang, admitted in previous interviews and in his 2019 tell-all memoir, “Compton Street Legend” that he was in the car allegedly used in the attack.

At the press conference on Friday, Homicide Lieutenant Jason Johansson, of the Las Vegas Police Department, called Davis the “leader and shot caller” in the shooting.

He said Davis had planned the attack as “retaliation” for the earlier incident in the casino involving Anderson.

“Word spread among the South Side Compton Crips about what had occurred [in the casino],” Lt Johansson told the press conference.

“That is when Davis began to devise a plan to obtain a firearm and retaliate for what had occurred.”

Tupac to be honoured in California
Who is hip-hop star Tupac Shakur?

At the time of his death, Tupac was one of the leading figures in the West Coast hip-hop scene, with hits including “California Love” and “Dear Mama”.

Known by his stage name 2Pac, the New York-born rapper found fame with his debut album 2Pacalypse Now and was nominated for six Grammy Awards throughout his music career.

He was shot on the night of 7 September 1996, while in a black BMW driven by Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight.

The pair were driving to a nightclub in a convoy after watching the Mike Tyson versus Bruce Seldon world heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas.

They were waiting at a red light, a block from the Las Vegas Strip, when a white Cadillac pulled up next to them and gunfire erupted.

Tupac, who was shot multiple times, died on 12 September. He was 25 at the time.

There were many witnesses to the shooting, but the investigation quickly stalled, in part because those witnesses refused to cooperate, Las Vegas police said in the past.

Until Friday, there had never been any arrests in the case.