Tupac Shakur case: Timeline of the murder investigation
HOUSTON - The murder of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur on Sept. 13, 1996, sent shockwaves through the music industry and left fans around the world mourning the loss of a true hip-hop legend.
Though more than two decades have passed, the mystery of his untimely death remained unsolved until a recent arrest.
Here is a timeline of the Tupac murder investigation, highlighting key events and developments that have shaped the case.
September 7, 1996: Las Vegas Altercation
Tupac Shakur and his entourage engage in a physical altercation with Orlando Anderson, a member of the Crips gang, at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. The incident is captured on surveillance cameras and sparks tensions between rival hip-hop factions. Later that night, he was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting while stopped at a red light on the Las Vegas Strip. He is rushed to the hospital. Shakur was hit four times: once in the arm, once in the thigh, and twice in the chest, with one bullet entering his right lung.
September 13, 1996: Fatal Shooting
Shakur succumbs to his injuries. He was 25 when he died.
March 9, 1997: The Notorious B.I.G.'s Murder
Just six months after Tupac's death, fellow rapper Christopher Wallace, known as The Notorious B.I.G., was fatally shot in Los Angeles at 24. Speculations arise about a possible connection between the two murders.
2002: Las Vegas Police Reopen the Case
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reopens the Tupac murder case, citing the emergence of new leads and advancements in forensic technology. Detectives interview witnesses and reexamine evidence.
February 2018: New Documentary Reignites Interest
The release of the documentary "Unsolved: The Tupac and Biggie Murders" on Netflix reignites public interest in the case. The documentary explores the possibility of a cover-up and raises questions about the involvement of prominent figures in the music industry. After its release, speculation about Shakur's shooting death was reignited by the public and law enforcement.
2019
Duane Keith "Keffe D" Davis himself admitted in interviews and in his 2019 tell-all memoir, "Compton Street Legend," that he was in the Cadillac from which the gunfire erupted during the September 1996 drive-by shooting. He said he was in the front passenger seat of the Cadillac and had slipped the gun used in the killing into the backseat, from where he said the shots were fired.
July 2023
On July 18, 2023, the Las Vegas Police Department conducted a search warrant of Duane Keith "Keffe D" Davis's home in Henderson, Nevada, in connection with the Tupac homicide investigation. Investigators seized computers, hard drives, and magazine articles about Tupac and his death, the official said.
September 29, 2023
Davis was arrested in Las Vegas and charged with murder with the use of a deadly weapon on Friday in the 1996 killing. This is a long-awaited breakthrough in a case that has frustrated investigators and fascinated the public ever since the hip-hop icon was gunned down 27 years ago. A Nevada grand jury indicted Duane "Keffe D" Davis in the killing, prosecutors announced in court Friday.