Former Gang Leader Found Guilty in Tupac Shakur Murder

Nearly three decades after Tupac Shakur was shot in Las Vegas, a jury convicted Duane Davis of orchestrating the killing of one of rap’s defining figures. The 63-year-old former leader of the South Side Compton Crips was found guilty after several hours of deliberation.

Davis did not face accusations that he personally fired the shots. Prosecutors argued that he organized a retaliation attack and secured the weapon. Under Nevada law, a person can be convicted of murder for helping another person commit the crime.

Shakur, who was 25, was shot inside a car in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996. He died six days later in hospital. Known for songs including “California Love” and “Changes,” he sold millions of records and remained an influential presence in hip-hop and popular culture long after his death.

Davis was arrested in Las Vegas in 2023 and charged with murder involving the use of a deadly weapon. He pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors also pointed to Davis’s earlier public comments about the shooting. He had said in interviews and in his autobiography that he was sitting in the white Cadillac from which the shots were fired and was the only surviving occupant. During a 2008 interrogation, he said his nephew fired the fatal shots.

Defense lawyer Michael Sanft argued that Davis’s earlier statements were inventions designed to bring him attention and financial gain. He portrayed his client as a braggart and liar who had fabricated many stories.