The Las Vegas police department has released the mugshot of the suspect arrested in the 1996 shooting death of Tupac Shakur. Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis, aged 60, was apprehended on Friday morning, September 30, in Las Vegas. His wife’s Henderson residence was searched in July as part of the ongoing investigation into the shooting.
Tupac Shakur was fatally shot at the age of 25 while leaving a boxing match on the Las Vegas Strip. His untimely death has been the subject of conspiracy theories and a decades-long investigation.
During a Friday news conference, authorities portrayed Davis as the mastermind behind a plot to retaliate against Shakur after an attack on his nephew. Davis had consistently placed himself at the crime scene, claiming he was in the front seat of the white Cadillac that pulled up alongside Shakur’s car, from which shots were fired, leading to the musician’s death.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill expressed, “For 27 years, the family of Tupac Shakur has been waiting for justice.” He also acknowledged the lengthy investigative efforts that had gone into this case.
Jason Johansson, the police department’s homicide lieutenant, explained that the murder was a retaliatory attack stemming from a conflict between two gangs based in Compton, California. Shakur and Marion “Suge” Knight were affiliated with the Mob Piru gang, while Davis had ties to the Southside Compton Crips.
The incident occurred after a boxing match featuring Mike Tyson at the MGM Grand Hotel, with members of both gangs present. A confrontation ensued, leading to the attack on Orlando Anderson. This incident ultimately triggered the retaliatory shooting that claimed Tupac Shakur’s life.
After obtaining a firearm, Davis, along with others, approached Shakur and Knight’s vehicle, a black BMW, and began shooting, before quickly fleeing the scene. Davis was identified as the orchestrator of this crime, with all other individuals involved having since passed away.
Johansson noted that while the events of that night were known to the police, it was only in 2018 that the investigation was reinvigorated, with Davis’s admissions playing a crucial role.
The search of Davis’ wife’s home in July resulted in the discovery of a memoir written by Davis himself, where he described being one of the only two living witnesses to Shakur’s shooting, the other being Knight, who is currently serving time in prison for manslaughter in an unrelated case. Davis had kept silent regarding the identity of the shooter, citing the “code of the streets.”