Authorities have arrested Duane Keith “Keefe D” Davis in connection with the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, finally shedding light on a case that has remained unsolved for nearly 3 decades. Davis, 60 years old and a former South Side Compton Crips leader, was apprehended early Friday near his Las Vegas residence. The arrest comes after a Nevada grand jury indicted Davis on murder using a deadly weapon.
On the night of September 1996, Shakur, aged 25, was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting on the Las Vegas Strip. The incident had its roots in a prior altercation involving Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson, who had an altercation with Shakur in a casino. Davis allegedly hatched a plan to obtain a firearm and seek revenge against Shakur and Knight. He acquired a gun and, along with three others, got into a white Cadillac. Davis is believed to have given the gun to passengers in the backseat, and it was from there that the fatal shots were fired at Shakur’s BMW.
Authorities have portrayed Davis as a central figure in the plot to kill Shakur. They believe the murder was a retaliatory act following a confrontation between two rival gangs, the Mob Piru gang, with which Shakur and Marion “Suge” Knight was affiliated, and the Southside Compton Crips, with which Davis belonged.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill, addressing the media, highlighted the significance of this development. He acknowledged that Shakur’s family and fans had waited 27 years for justice, and the investigation had been protracted.
The pivotal moment that led to the retaliation against Shakur occurred when Death Row Records members, Shakur included, attacked Orlando Anderson in the MGM Grand Hotel near an elevator bank. Surveillance footage from the hotel captured the altercation. This assault provided the impetus for Davis to plan a retaliatory attack on Shakur and Suge Knight, the CEO of Death Row Records. Davis acquired a firearm from an associate, leading to the tragic events of that night.
Duane Keith Davis had originally confessed to his role in the murder in 2009. But, his admissions to media outlets and the publication of his memoir detailing the shooting played a crucial role in his recent arrest.
