New Evidence in Tupac Shakur’s 1996 Killing
The mystery surrounding the 1996 death of Tupac Shakur might see new developments with the upcoming trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis. Davis, 63, faces charges related to orchestrating the drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip, which also injured Marion “Suge” Knight. The trial is set to commence on August 10, nearly three years following Davis’ arrest in 2023. He has entered a plea of not guilty.
On the evening of September 7, 1996, Shakur was traveling in the passenger seat of a black BMW, driven by Knight, when a white Cadillac drew alongside and shots were fired. Knight sustained injuries but survived. Shakur succumbed to his injuries a week later at 25. Authorities indicate that the shooting was linked to intense rivalries within the hip-hop scene. These rivalries often pitted East Coast affiliates of the Bloods gang against West Coast members of the Crips, a faction Davis claimed to lead in Compton, California.
Inside the Cadillac with Davis were three individuals, none of whom faced charges in Shakur’s case before their deaths.
Key Figures in the Case
Shakur remains an influential figure in hip-hop, with five albums reaching No. 1, six Grammy nominations, and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. A posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was awarded in 2023. Upcoming projects include his appearance in the video game “Stranger than Heaven.” At the time of his death, his album “All Eyez on Me” was on the charts with 5 million copies sold. Apart from his music, Shakur was an actor in several films. Born Lesane Parish Crooks in New York in 1971, his name was later changed. His mother, Afeni Shakur, and stepfather, Mutulu Shakur, were involved with the Black Panther Party. His biological father, William “Billy” Garland, had little involvement in his life. Tupac’s siblings, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur and Maurice “Mopreme” Shakur, have criticized authorities for their slow action in the case.
Marion “Suge” Knight
Knight was the head of Death Row Records, which represented Shakur. He has been called “Sugar Bear” during his upbringing in Compton. On the night of the shooting, he was driving with Shakur to a nightclub. Currently, Knight is serving a 28-year sentence for a separate incident in January 2015. As children, both Knight and Davis played on the same youth football team in Compton, and Knight briefly played for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and later the Los Angeles Rams during an NFL strike.
Davis described Knight and himself as pivotal witnesses in his memoir, “Compton Street Legend.” “Like two rams locking horns,” Davis recalls looking into Knight’s eyes before the shooting.
Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson
Authorities suspected Anderson, age 22 at the time, of being the shooter. Though Davis was Anderson’s uncle and 12 years older, he referred to their bond as familial and close. Anderson was beaten earlier at the MGM Grand Casino by Shakur, Knight, and associates. The act was considered retaliatory for this altercation.
Davis noted, “Them jumping on my nephew gave us the ultimate green light to do something.”
Davis allegedly acquired a handgun from an associate and tossed it in the back seat of the Cadillac. Anderson denied involvement but died in an unrelated 1998 Compton shooting.
Deandrae “Freaky” Smith
Smith, also known as “Big Dre,” was one of the backseat passengers. A former associate, Denvonta Lee, claimed to the grand jury that Smith, not Anderson, fired the lethal shots. Smith reportedly took the gun from Anderson and opened fire, later allowing Anderson to take credit. Smith died in 2004 from natural causes.
Terry “Bubble Up” Brown
Brown was the driver of the Cadillac involved in the shooting. Davis wrote that they initially spotted Shakur from their car. Brown, Davis recalls, performed a U-turn to pursue the rapper’s group. Brown died in a 2015 shooting incident in Compton.