After nearly 30 years, Las Vegas police have made their first arrest related to Tupac Shakur’s murder. On Friday, the cops arrested 60-year-old Duane “Keffe D” Davis after turning their attention back to the case in the past few months.
The detectives spent almost three decades investigating the perpetrator behind the iconic rapper Tupac Shakur’s murder in 1996 on the Las Vegas strip, and they eventually made their first big move.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis is a member of a California-based gang known as the South Side Compton Crips. He was allegedly involved in the shooting on the Las Vegas strip, which claimed the life of rapper Tupac Shakur. Davis informed the investigators that he was indeed present in the vehicle alongside the perpetrator but denied his involvement in the killing.
So, who exactly is Duane Davis? And how is he linked to the murder of Tupac Shakur?
Who Is Duane “Keffe D” Davis?
Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who grew up in Compton, joined the South Side Compton Crips at a young age and eventually married Paula Clemons. His father was a former Marine, and his mother died in 1978 of colon cancer when he was just 15 years old.
Two of his brothers also died very young; one was shot in Compton, and the other from cancer. Even after joining the gang at such a young age, it took him over a decade to become a major player in the drug empire.
How Is Duane “Keffe D” Davis Connected to Tupac Shakur’s Murder?
According to his memoir “Compton Street Legend, “published in 2019, David clearly explained the incident of Tupac’s murder. It all began with Davis and his crew wanting to see the fight between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon in Las Vegas in 1996.
After the match, they planned to visit the Strip, but soon they learned that the members of Death Row Records had attacked Davis’ nephew Orlando Anderson at the MGM Grand Hotel.
To avenge their valued gang member, they went to find Tupac Shakur and his entourage at the hotel, where Davis tossed the gun into the backseat of the Cadillac where Anderson and DeAndre Smith sat.
Eventually, they spotted the Death Row caravan, and the chaos ensued after seeing Tupac waving to his fans from his BMW. Davis wrote in his memoir precisely what transpired. In his words,
“The next few seconds all happened so quickly. Tupac made a sudden move and began to reach down beneath the seat … and that’s when the fireworks started. One of my guys from the back seat grabbed the Glock and started busting back.”
“I thought the m—f— was dead. I heard stories that Suge supposedly used Tupac as a shield when the bullets started flying. Suge was already wounded. … As the rounds continued flying, I ducked down so that I wouldn’t get hit.”
All is said and done, the investigations began following the death of the rapper Tupac, and Anderson was suspected of the murder but was never charged. Furthermore, David claimed that he never shot the rapper, but in July 2018, he confessed to playing a role in the death of Tupac.
He claimed Anderson was the one who delivered the fatal blow, but he died in an unrelated gang shooting in Compton in 1998. However, in September 2023, Police searched Davis’ home and seized several items, including a 40-caliber cartridge, photos, and other materials related to the shooting incident, leading to his ultimate arrest.
So, what do you make of Tupac Shakur’s murder incident? Do you believe Davis is the one who killed him? Let us know your stance in the comment section below.