On September 13, 1996, rapper extraordinaire, movie star, and who many have called the “poet of the people,” Tupac Shakur, was murdered in Las Vegas as he left the 1996 prizefight between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon with Death Row Founder Marion ‘Suge’ Knight. Shakur was shot multiple times and succumbed to his injuries a week later. Tupac Shakur was 25 years old.
Twenty-seven years after his death, a grand jury in Clark County indicted Duane Keith Davis, aka “Keffe D,” on one count of murder with the use of a deadly weapon, and they added a gang enhancement for the death of Shakur that could add up to 20 additional years if he is found guilty. Davis was arrested and is being held without bond.
Prosecutors alleged that Davis ordered the shooting of Shakur and Knight. Davis isn’t accused of being the trigger man but the leader of those involved in the murder of Shakur.
“Duane Davis was the shot caller for this group of individuals that committed this crime,” said Las Vegas police homicide Lt. Jason Johansson, “and he orchestrated the plan that was carried out.”
In announcing the arrest of Davis, Clark County authorities explained that in Nevada, you can be charged with a crime if you assist someone in committing the crime, including murder.
What is incredulous about the arrest of Davis is that investigators have known about his involvement in the case since the early days of the investigation. In addition, Davis has written about his involvement, publishing his 2019 memoir “Compton Street Legend,” and has participated in numerous online public interviews discussing what happened on that fateful night.
On the night of September 7, 1996, Shakur was driven in a BMW by Suge Knight. As they waited at a red light, fans recognized Shakur, who hung out the car window to the delight of his fans on the Las Vegas Strip. A white Cadillac pulled up next to Shakur and opened fire, hitting both Shakur and Knight.
Keffe D (Davis) wrote in his memoir that he was in the front passenger seat of the Cadillac, his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, was in the back seat, a man identified by Keffe D as ‘Freaky’ set in the back with “Baby Lane,” and a man identified as ‘Bubble Up’ did the driving.
“As they sat in traffic, we slowly rolled past the long line of luxury cars they had in their caravan,” said Davis. “Like two rams locking horns, Suge and I looked each other dead in the eye. Our eyes locked. The terrified expression on Suge’s face read, “Damn. Them niggas!” No words were exchanged, the time for talking had passed, the shit was about to go down!”
In interviews and his memoir, Davis, now 60, admitted that he provided the gun used in the drive-by shooting. Davis also discussed a mall fight that happened right before the Las Vegas fight. The Lakewood Mall fight between rival gang members, in the words of Davis, would change Shakur’s life even though he was not involved or aware of the fight:
“This seemingly routine incident in the life of real street niggas would lead to a cascade of events that would change the rap game forever, he said.”
Davis and crew arrived in Las Vegas for the Mike Tyson fight. Shakur and Knight were also there. According to Davis, he was told that his nephew Baby Lane “was jumped on down by the casino after the fight.”
Davis would write: “We came to find out later that the same dude from the Lakewood Mall that got his chain snatched was walking with Tupac when they saw Baby Lane in the lobby of the MGM.” Davis said he and his crew were angry about the attack on Lane and set out to settle the score with Shakur, whom he believed instigated the physical attack on Lane.
Davis said they went in search of Shakur and Knight and found them by accident as they heard fans screaming Tupac’s name. As police lieutenant Johansson said:
“Little did anyone know that this incident would ultimately lead to the retaliatory shooting and death of Tupac Shakur.”
According to police reports, Shakur was hit four times, and Knight suffered minor wounds.
Davis would write that they got out of the Cadillac after the shooting and watched as EMTs worked on Shakur and Knight. Shakur died, and Knight survived. Davis wrote in 2019 that Shakur’s death was “nothing more than collateral damage.” He would write that he felt remorseful about Shakur’s death:
“Tupac was a guppy that got swallowed up by some ferocious sharks. He shouldn’t have ever got involved in that bull…of trying to be a thug.”
The arrest of Davis has many asking, what took so long? Investigators spent years trying to solve the case against the backdrops of wild theories about who did it. Over the years, many fans believed that Shakur was not dead but hiding out and healing from his injuries. Investigators and police were accused of shoddy police work, and some members of law enforcement were accused of being involved and hiding critical evidence.
Las Vegas Lt. Jason Johansson said, “Ultimately, our persistence in this investigation paid off.” He said, “Metro detectives had a lot of information about the crime but didn’t have the necessary evidence until recently to arrest Keffe D. The police have said that it was the public admissions, writings, and interviews by Davis that breathed new life into an investigation that many believed would never be resolved.
Keffe D is the only surviving occupant in the Cadillac on the night Shakur was killed. Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson died two years later. Terrence “Bubble Up” Brown and DeAndre “Freaky” Smith are all deceased, and Marion “Suge” Knight is serving a 28-year prison sentence for an unrelated voluntary manslaughter charge.
“Today, justice will be served in the murder of Tupac Shakur,” Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said. “I know a lot of people have been watching and waiting for this day.”
Jada Pinkett Smith, a longtime friend of Shakur, wrote on her social media account:
“Now I hope we can get some answers and have some closure. R.I.P. Pac,” Pinkett Smith wrote.
Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, wrote:
“Today is a victory,” but “reserve judgment until legal proceedings have been completed,” Sekyiwa wrote.
“It’s important to me that the world, the country, the justice system, and our people acknowledge the gravity of the passing of this man, my brother, my mother’s son, my father’s son.”
A voice for millions, Shakur, a six-time Grammy nominee and a poet who sold 75 million records, remains beloved, remembered, and talked about today in all walks of life.
The last words belong to Tupac Shakur, son of the late Afeni:
“This fast life soon shatters cause after all the lights and screams, nothing but my dreams matter.”