Tupac Shakur murder trial begins for alleged mastermind of 1996 drive-by shooting

The trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis, accused of orchestrating the 1996 murder of rap icon Tupac Shakur, begins with opening statements in Las Vegas. Davis, 63, faces a murder charge by deadly weapon, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege he led a group that carried out the drive-by shooting, a seminal event in hip-hop history that amplified the violence associated with "gangsta" rap and the East Coast-West Coast feud.

Authorities identified Davis as a suspect for years but lacked sufficient evidence until he began implicating himself in public statements. The "shot caller," as described by authorities, allegedly plotted the revenge killing after his nephew was beaten by Shakur and his entourage at the MGM Grand casino. This altercation reportedly stemmed from a rivalry between the South Side Compton Crips, led by Davis, and the Mob Piru gang, associated with Shakur's label, Death Row Records.

The trial, presided over by Judge Carli Kierny, is expected to span up to six weeks. Key testimony may come from Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight, who was with Shakur the night he died and is currently serving a prison sentence for an unrelated conviction. A jury has already been selected for the proceedings, which aim to bring resolution to a case that has remained cold for decades but was revived by Davis's own admissions in interviews and his 2019 memoir.

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We will not allow violence or unauthorized parties to take the law into their own hands.