In this article, Tupac Shakur remains one of the most influential and controversial rappers ever, shot dead in Las Vegas six days after being wounded in an earlier drive-by shooting. Although numerous theories and investigations have been undertaken into his murder, to this date it remains unresolved despite numerous theories and investigations being undertaken into its causes and motives. Below are some facts and speculation surrounding this case.
The Night of the Shooting
On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur attended the Bruce Seldon vs. Mike Tyson boxing match hosted at MGM Grand Las Vegas with Marion “Suge” Knight, head of Death Row Records, while Trevon Lane from M.O.B was present as well. While leaving, one of Tre’s associates shot and killed Tupac. Orlando Baby Lane Anderson from the rival South Side Compton Crips gang was identified in the MGM Grand lobby2. Early that same year, in July 1996, Anderson and other South Side Crips attempted to rob Lane of his shoe collection from Foot Locker store at Lakewood Center mall in Lakewood, California. Lane told Shakur of this attempt and she responded by assaulting Anderson in the lobby. Shakur asked Anderson if he was from the South (South Side Crips), before punching him hard in the face to knock him to the ground 2. Shakur and Knight’s entourage then joined forces in assaulting Anderson until security intervened to stop the fight captured on MGM Grand video surveillance3.
After the brawl, Shakur returned to his hotel, the Luxor Las Vegas. He informed girlfriend Kidada Jones of his involvement in Anderson fight; having previously promised she’d stay in vehicle at MGM Grand. Once changed clothes, Shakur left with Knight in a BMW sedan before entering Club 662 (owned by Knight) where they planned on performing charity concert 45. At 11:00-11:05 p.m. PDT officers from Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Bike Patrol stopped them on Las Vegas Boulevard due to playing car stereo too loudly while lacking license plates which were found hidden within Knight’s trunk before release a short while later without being issued any citations
At 11:10 p.m. while they were stopped at the intersection of East Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in front of Maxim Hotel, two women pulled up to them on their left side in a vehicle, with Shakur standing through his sunroof, exchanging words with them before inviting them to Club 662. Shortly thereafter at 11:15, an unknown-occupant white four-door late model Cadillac pulled up right next to them, opened its window, rolled down their window, rapidly fired gunshots at him from all sides resulting in his four wounds – twice in his chest twice arms once in his thigh one bullet went into his right lung while Knight was hit in her head by fragmentation of gunshot fragmentation from fragmentation of gunshot fragmentation of gunshot.
Frank Alexander, Shakur’s bodyguard, reported that when they were about to ride together in Knight’s car, Shakur asked him instead to drive Jones’s instead in case they became too drunk and required additional transportation from Club 662 back to their hotel. Shortly afterwards, an unknown Cadillac approached from behind and fired numerous gunshots upon Shakur before quickly firing gunshots itself upon Alexander attempting to take a statement from him at University Medical Center; Sergeant Kevin Manning confirmed this later when speaking directly with him as well.
Shakur was taken to University Medical Center of Southern Nevada and admitted into its intensive care unit and placed on life support, where he underwent further sedation before being put on ventilator and respirator, receiving multiple surgeries, as well as being sedated on multiple occasions and undergoing multiple rounds of sedate surgery attempts to keep him alive. Although doctors attempted to save him, but suffered massive blood loss and internal bleeding leading him to be declared dead at 4:03 pm PDT on September 13, 1996 due to respiratory failure due to multiple gunshot wounds. His body was cremated later while some ashes mixed in marijuana used by members of Shakur’s group the Outlawz (see::: Shakur: When Shakur died).
The Suspects and the Motives
Orlando Anderson was initially suspected as being involved in the shooting incident after attacking Shakur in the MGM Grand lobby earlier that evening. Although Anderson never faced charges or acknowledged being responsible, they still deny their involvement in it today. On May 29, 1998, Anderson was shot and killed during a gang-related shootout in Compton. However, in 2018 an HBO documentary entitled Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G aired featuring Duane “Keefe D” Davis (Anderson’s uncle and fellow Crip). During that interview, an alternative theory about Anderson’s demise emerged through interviews with individuals associated with him such as Duane “Keefe D” Davis which hinted towards new evidence regarding Anderson’s demise as being plausible. Davis admitted his participation in the shooting and claimed Anderson as the shooter. According to Davis, it was done as revenge against MGM Grand brawl participants; an unknown individual paid them off with funds so that Shakur and Knight would die.
DeAndrae “Dre” Smith was another suspect on that night and had been seen driving the Cadillac with Anderson and Davis. Smith died during a botched drug deal in Compton on July 4, 1997. Greg Kading, who investigated both Tupac Shakur’s murder and that of Notorious B.I.G, an upstate New York rapper rival of Biggie Smalls’, published a book entitled Murder Rap: The Untold Story of Biggie Smalls & Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations in 2023. Kading claimed in her book that Smith was actually responsible for shooting The Notorious B.I.G, and was hired by Sean “Puffy” Combs, owner of Bad Boy Records where The Notorious B.I.G was signed. Kading maintained that Combs feared for his life after Knight threatened him, and offered $1 million to anyone who could kill Shakur and Knight. Davis confirmed his theory. Both Combs and Davis denied Kading’s allegations, with critics seeing his book as self-serving attempt at profiteering off this case.
Other theories suggest that Shakur’s murder was orchestrated by Knight himself in order to cash in on his life insurance and boost record sales. Others have speculated that Shakur faked his own death and went into hiding using an alias like Makaveli – which references Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli who advocated faked deaths to deceive enemies – as an excuse. These theories, however, have been widely disproven by evidence and witnesses, as well as by Shakur’s family and friends themselves.
The Arrest and the Trial
On September 29th 2023, 27 years after Tupac’s murder was perpetrated, Duane Davis was arrested by a grand jury and charged with his first-degree killing. His home in Henderson, Nevada was searched as part of an ongoing investigation into the shooting incident in July. According to his arrest warrant, Davis admitted being present during the shooting and provided details that corroborated with evidence from Anderson, Smith and Terrence Brown. The warrant stated that Davis had implicated Combs as the individual responsible for hiring his hitmen to kill Shakur and Knight, in exchange for immunity from prosecution. However, Davis later recanted his confession and pled not guilty – his trial is scheduled to commence January 2024.
The arrest of Davis has reignited interest and controversy surrounding Tupac Shakur’s unsolved killing, raising hopes among fans and family, but also drawing scrutiny and criticism. Some people question Davis’ credibility and motive, the validity and timing of evidence collected against her, as well as whether this complex investigation will ever be resolved with multiple parties and interests involved. As trial day draws nearer, his demise remains both mysterious and fascinating to many.
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