Tupac: 30 years later, trial begins for murder that shook hip-hop

Thirty years after the fatal shooting that shocked the music world, a trial has begun in Las Vegas for the murder of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur. Duane "Keffe D" Davis, a 63-year-old former South Side Compton Crips leader, faces charges of murder with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, near the Las Vegas Strip and died six days later at the age of 25. The identity of his killer remained one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in American music for decades. Davis was arrested and charged in 2023. Prosecutors contend that while Davis may not have pulled the trigger, he was instrumental in the planning and provided the firearm used in the attack.

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The prosecutors do not claim that Davis was the one who fired the shots. However, they accuse him of providing the weapon and playing a decisive role in organizing the attack that led to Tupac's death.

Davis's own public statements have played a significant role in the case. In his 2019 memoir, "Compton Street Legend," he claimed to be one of only two living eyewitnesses to the murder. The defense, however, argues that there is insufficient evidence to link Davis to the organization of the murder, pointing to the book's inclusion of fictional elements and its co-authorship.

The night of the shooting involved a confrontation between Shakur and Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, Davis's nephew, shortly after a Mike Tyson boxing match. Later, as Shakur and Suge Knight drove down the Las Vegas Strip, a white Cadillac pulled up alongside their BMW, and shots were fired. Knight sustained minor injuries, while Shakur was hit multiple times. The question of who fired the shots that killed Shakur remains unanswered, even as Davis's trial commences.

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In his memoir, 'Compton Street Legend,' released in 2019, he stated that he was one of the only two living eyewitnesses to the murder.