The Tupac Shakur Murder Trial: What We Know

Nearly 30 years after the murder of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur, the only person ever charged in connection with his death is now on trial. The trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a former South Side Compton Crips gang leader, officially began in Las Vegas on Aug. 17, 2026, with opening statements. Davis was indicted by a grand jury for the rapper’s murder in 2023.

Davis, 63, is charged with murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. He has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he faces life in prison. A total of 16 jurors have been seated: 12 main jurors and four alternates. The group consists of 10 women and six men, according to The Associated Press and CNN.

What happened to Tupac?

Tupac Shakur was 25 when he was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on Sep. 7, 1996.

Earlier that night, Shakur had attended a Mike Tyson boxing match at the MGM Grand with Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight and others.

After the fight, Shakur and his entourage became involved in a physical confrontation with Orlando Anderson, Davis’ nephew and a member of the South Side Compton Crips.

Later that night, Shakur and Knight were riding in a black BMW when another vehicle pulled alongside them. Gunfire erupted.

Shakur was struck multiple times. He died six days later, on Sep. 13, 1996.

Knight was also shot but survived. Prosecutors have claimed that Davis and Tupac Shakur’s rival gang affiliations may have contributed to the motive for the killing. Shakur was affiliated with the Mob Piru gang, a rival of the South Side Compton Crips, CNN reported. The trial is also expected to examine the long-running rivalry between the Bloods and Crips, two Los Angeles-based street gangs, and how that conflict may have contributed to the tensions surrounding Shakur’s death.

Why is Duane “Keffe D” Davis on trial?

Prosecutors say Davis helped plan and organize the attack.

They do not allege that Davis was the person who fired the fatal shots. Instead, prosecutors argue that he supplied the weapon and helped organize the group that carried out the shooting.

Davis has given conflicting accounts of what happened.

In his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, Davis described traveling from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for the boxing match and gave an account of the events surrounding the shooting.

He later told a Las Vegas television station 8 News Now that he wasn’t there that night and said he “wasn’t even in Nevada” when Shakur was killed.

Davis has also said he participated in the book because he “was just after the money.”

“I didn’t write that book,” he said.

Davis’ book could be important evidence.

Much of the prosecution’s case involves statements Davis made over the years, including what he described in his memoir.

The book details Davis’ life as a member of the South Side Compton Crips, his relationships with other gang members and his account of the night Shakur was killed.

Davis’ attorney, Michael Sanft, argues that the book should not be treated as a reliable account of what happened.

Sanft says Davis co-authored the book to make money rather than to provide a truthful account, noted The Associated Press. He has also argued that it is difficult to determine which portions were actually written by Davis and which were written by co-author Yusuf Jah.

Jah is on the list of potential witnesses.

Prosecutors acknowledge that parts of the book may be exaggerated, but say they will establish “what is true, what is exaggeration, and what is an outright lie.”

What does Davis say happened?

In his account of the shooting, Davis said he and his group were traveling in a white Cadillac.

According to the book, Davis was sitting in the front passenger seat when someone in the back grabbed a black .40-caliber Glock that Davis had previously placed in the vehicle.

That person then opened fire at the BMW carrying Shakur and Knight.

“One of my guys from the back seat grabbed the Glock and started bustin’ back,” Davis wrote. Anderson, known as “Baby Lane,” and their associate, Deandre “Big Dre” Smith, also known as “Freaky,” were in the backseat when the gunfire erupted, according to Davis’ account; however, it’s unclear who fired the shots. Both Smith and Anderson are no longer living.

Davis was later asked during BET’s “Death Row Chronicles” who fired the gun.

“Going to keep it for the code of the streets,” he said. “It just came from the backseat, bro.”

Davis also wrote:

“No words were exchanged, the time for talking had passed, the (sh*t) was on!”

The fight at the MGM Grand.

Prosecutors believe the confrontation involving Anderson was an important part of what led to the shooting.

The MGM Grand fight itself was reportedly connected to an earlier dispute at a mall in Los Angeles County, CNN noted.

According to a grand jury testimony obtained by the outlet, Anderson and other South Side Crips were accused of stealing a Death Row chain from Trevon Lane. Later, when Anderson was spotted at the MGM Grand, members of Shakur’s group confronted him.

Video shown by police during the investigation appeared to show Anderson on the floor while several people, including Shakur and Knight, kicked him.

Afterward, Davis and others went looking for Shakur and Knight.

According to Davis’ book, Terrence “Bubble Up” Brown was driving when they accidentally passed the BMW. Davis said he directed Brown to make a U-turn.

More than two hours after the boxing match, Davis said their vehicle pulled alongside the BMW.

What about Sean “Diddy” Combs?

Davis has also made allegations involving Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was one of the major figures in East Coast hip-hop at the time.

In his memoir, Davis claimed Combs asked him for help with “a couple of problems” that needed to be “handled,” referring to Knight and Shakur.

Davis wrote:

“‘I looked at him in his eyes, and without hesitation, I responded, ‘That’s not a problem. We can make that happen!’”

Davis later referred to the alleged arrangement as “a million-dollar bounty.”

Combs has denied having any involvement in Shakur’s killing and called the allegations “nonsense” during a 2016 interview with The Breakfast Club.

Combs has never been charged in connection with Shakur’s murder.

He is listed as a potential witness in the trial.

What did Tupac say about gangs?

Shakur’s own relationship with gang culture has been debated for decades.

His music frequently addressed violence, drugs and street life, and he was closely associated with Suge Knight and Death Row Records.

But Shakur rejected the idea that he was a gang member.

“I am not a gangster and never have been,” he told the Los Angeles Times in a 1995 interview.

He explained that his music reflected difficult realities, including “lots of killing and drugs.”

What about Suge Knight?

Knight was driving the BMW when Shakur was shot.

He was also wounded in the attack but survived.

Because Knight was in the car with Shakur, his testimony could potentially be significant to the prosecution’s case. He is on the trial’s witness list.

However, Knight has previously said he does not want to testify against Davis.

“I wouldn’t wish somebody going to prison on my worst enemy,” he told TMZ in a phone call from prison in 2023. Knight spoke to the outlet recently on Aug. 11 and interestingly, he claimed Shakur’s murder was “an assassination” and that there were others involved in the rapper’s death.

Davis’ changing story.

One of the biggest issues in the trial is likely to be the different accounts Davis has given over the years.

His memoir describes him traveling to Las Vegas and provides a detailed account of the events surrounding the shooting.

Davis also previously discussed his involvement with law enforcement during a 2009 proffer agreement, according to former Los Angeles Police Department Detective Greg Kading.

A proffer agreement generally allows a person to provide information to investigators under certain protections.

Kading has said detectives “substantiated nearly every single thing he said.”

Davis’ attorneys, however, have challenged the reliability and meaning of his previous statements. As previously mentioned, Davis has also denied Shakur’s killing, complicating the case.

Tupac Shakur Murder Trial: Why is the trial happening now?

Shakur was killed in 1996, but for decades no one was charged with his murder.

Davis was finally arrested and charged in 2023.

That makes this trial a major moment in one of the most famous unsolved murder cases in music history.

The central question for the jury will be whether prosecutors can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Davis helped orchestrate Shakur’s killing — despite his claims that he was not involved.

At the heart of the case is a story that has changed repeatedly over nearly three decades, with prosecutors pointing to Davis’ past statements and the defense challenging their credibility.

Who was Tupac Shakur?

Shakur became one of the biggest stars in hip-hop before his death at just 25.

He released 11 platinum albums, including seven that came out after his death. His best-known albums include “All Eyez on Me” and “Me Against the World.”

He also had a successful acting career, appearing in films including Poetic Justice and Above the Rim.

His death became one of the defining mysteries in hip-hop history, and the circumstances surrounding it have generated theories and speculation for decades. Now, we may finally get one step closer to finding out who really murdered the iconic rap star.

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