Duane Davis, long suspected of being behind the shooting of rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996 has been arrested as investigators banked on statements he has given in recent years. A former gang leader, Davis has claimed that the 4 shots that killed the rapper came from the car he was in.
For 27 years, the family of Tupac Shakur has been denied justice. But the arrest of Duane Davis by the LVMPD Criminal Apprehension Team set in motion a fresh round of investigation five years ago and culminated in his arrest.
Shakur and his compatriot were involved in a gang-related fight after watching a Mike Tyson bout on September 7, 1996. Suge Knight and Shakur had beaten up Duane Davis’ nephew at the venue. This led to a plan to retaliate and Duane Davis, his nephew, and two other gang members followed Tupac Shakur. They shot him and Knight from close range.
Shakur had been shot 4 times and died 6 days later at the age of 25. He became a crucial image of a tragic figure in hip-hop circles. 25 years later Duane Davis admitted in a memoir and interviews that he was beside the driver of the white Cadillac that followed Shakur’s car and shot him as he sat in the back seat.
Duane Davis’s Nephew Was Believed To Be The Actual Shooter
Despite being under suspicion, Duane Davis was never arrested. The admission by him jumpstarted the long-stalled investigation. Duane Davis was indicted on a single murder count with a weapon by a Clark County grand jury. He also faces a gang enhancement charge and is in custody without the possibility of bail.
The case was freshly revived by Las Vegas Metropolitan police following the search of a home belonging to Davis. No charges were ever filed despite much speculation, evidence, and reporting. Duanne Davis’s nephew was believed to be the actual shooter though he was killed a couple of years following the murder of Shakur.
