The Aporia · Tupac murder trial: 'All hell broke loose' night of rapper's shooting, witness says

The murder trial of Tupac Shakur's killer has begun, with prosecutors portraying Duane "Keffe D" Davis as the mastermind behind the 1996 drive-by shooting that killed the rapper. According to Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal, Davis planned the killing in retaliation for his nephew Orlando Anderson being beaten by Shakur. The prosecution cites a memoir co-authored by Davis as evidence of his involvement, despite Davis claiming he didn't write all of it and parts were fictionalized. Garry Dale, an officer who rode with Tupac in an ambulance after the shooting, testified that Shakur refused to give any information about the attack, saying "We'll take care of it."

Written by AI on 2026-08-18, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, is charged with murder in the death of Tupac Shakur, who was killed in a drive-by shooting on September 7, 1996, in Las Vegas.

The prosecution has presented evidence that Davis orchestrated the killing, including a 2008 interview where he told detectives that his nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, fired the shots that killed Shakur. In the interview, Davis said that Anderson was in the back seat of a white Cadillac with him and two other men, and that Anderson took a gun from Deandre "Big Dre" Smith and started firing.

Prosecutor Binu Palal has argued that Davis's actions were motivated by revenge for his nephew's beating at the hands of Shakur's entourage earlier that night. Palal showed jurors a picture of the Mike Tyson fight on September 7, 1996, and video of Shakur's entourage attacking Anderson.

Davis entered the courtroom in a blue suit and tie and scanned the audience before sitting next to his lawyer, Michael Sanft. Members of Shakur's family, including his stepbrother Maurice "Mopreme" Shakur, sat quietly in the front row behind prosecutors.

The defense has hinted that Davis's ghostwriter, Yusef Jah, fictionalized some details in their book about the crime, and that the defendant wasn't involved in the killing. However, prosecutors have Jah's name on their witness list and plan to ask him if he wrote the book based on what Davis told him.

One of the key witnesses for the prosecution is Yusef Jah, who helped bring charges against Davis through his book. Moses Castillo, a retired LAPD detective, suspects that the prosecution will call Jah as a witness and ask him directly if he wrote the book based on what Davis told him.

The defense has tried to downplay the importance of Jah's testimony, but Castillo believes it could be crucial in convicting Davis.

Tupac Shakur was murdered on September 7, 1996, after being involved in a fight with Orlando Anderson at the MGM Hotel in Las Vegas. Two and a half hours later, Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting from a white Cadillac.

The trial has been marked by dramatic testimony from various witnesses, including James McDonald, an associate of Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight, who refused to go into detail about the beating of Orlando Anderson at the MGM Hotel.

James Wright Jr, a former Compton police officer who later led security for Suge Knight’s Death Row Records, testified that he had nothing to do with Tupac's murder.

Written for “Tupac Murder Trial Proceedings” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 7 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Tupac Murder Trial Proceedings

Crime & Law · 8 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

This article reads unscored and hedges 13% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

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- Published In the opening day of Tupac Shakur's murder trial, prosecutors painted former gang leader Duane "Keffe D" Davis as someone seeking revenge before masterminding the drive-by shooting that killed the iconic rapper. asserted

that → publish → rapper

Witnesses took a Las Vegas jury back in time three decades ago to the night Shakur was shot, when gangs had a hold over '90s hip-hop and distrust in police led to a lack of cooperation - and one of the most famous cold cases of the last century. asserted

distrust → take → century

Davis, 63, is charged with Shakur's murder. asserted

Davis → charge → murder

Prosecutors allege that although Davis did not fire the gun that killed the influential rapper, he allegedly orchestrated the killing. uncertain

he → allege → killing

Davis has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty. asserted

Davis → deny → allegations

In opening arguments, the prosecution portrayed Davis as the ringleader of the group responsible for the shooting - and point to a memoir he co-authored where he wrote in detail about the night of the shooting. asserted

he → open → shooting

"Let's be clear, Duane Davis did not pull the trigger. asserted

Davis → pull → trigger

But he did plan the shooting in retaliation of the beating of his nephew," Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told the jury. asserted

Palal → plan → jury

"Remarkably, you will learn that from Duane Davis himself." asserted

you → learn → Davis

Davis' attorneys called the narrative "fiction", dubbing the case a product of a flawed-decades-long investigation. asserted

attorneys → call → investigation

Davis has distanced himself from the memoir, saying he didn't write all of it and parts were fictionalised to sell more copies. asserted

parts → distance → copies

Davis, wearing a navy suit and blue tie, sat with his defence team as they questioned why no one had been arrested for nearly three decades and asked why "no one corroborates any of this". "What facts do they have after 30 years?" his attorney Michael Sanft questioned. asserted

attorney → wear → years

The prosecution's first witness was Garry Dale, who was working for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at the time of the shooting in September 1996. asserted

who → work → September

The officer detailed riding in an ambulance with Shakur after he'd been shot. asserted

he → detail → Shakur

He said the rapper refused to offer any information on what happened and who had shot him. asserted

who → say → him

"We'll take care of it," Shakur said, according to the officer's testimony. uncertain

Shakur → take → testimony

At the core of the case is East Coast vs West Coast rap rivalries and turf wars between the Bloods and the Crips street gangs that were immortalised in rap lyrics and news reports in the 1990s. asserted

that → immortalise → 1990s

Police have long said said a lack of cooperation in the case led to dead ends in their investigation. asserted

lack → say → investigation

Members of the rapper's entourage, though, have accused authorities of initially treating them like suspects and failing to follow important leads. asserted

Members → accuse → leads

Throughout the day on Monday, prosecutors painted that picture for the jury, explaining that there were no formal criminal charges in the shooting because in the world of guns and gangs "silence means survival". asserted

silence → paint → survival

But "one person" who had a hard time staying silent was the defendant, prosecutors said, noting that Davis gave a "number" of statements on the case between 1998 and 2003. asserted

Davis → have → 1998

Prosecutors allege Davis planned the shooting after his nephew Orlando Anderson was involved in a fight with Shakur in Las Vegas hours earlier. asserted

nephew → allege → Vegas

They argued Davis believed the attack on his nephew could not "go unanswered". uncertain

attack → argue → nephew

The iconic rapper was just 25 years old when he was gunned down after a Mike Tyson boxing match on 7 September 1996. asserted

he → gun → September

He died six days after the shooting. asserted

He → die → shooting

Prosecutors contend that Davis - a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips street gang - was the "on-ground, on-site commander" who "ordered the death" of Shakur. asserted

who → contend → Shakur

The murder case had largely gone cold until public statements made by Davis himself, who published a memoir in 2019. asserted

who → go → 2019

In it, and in various interviews, Davis has claimed he was a passenger in the vehicle that fired into Shakur's car that night. asserted

that → claim → car

He said in the book that he gave the gun used in the murder to his nephew, Anderson, who shot the rapper. asserted

who → say → rapper

His attorneys have argued the book is fiction and shouldn't be used as evidence in a criminal trial relating to a case from three decades ago, but a judge ruled it could be used in court. uncertain

it → argue → court

His defence team has pointed to missing police reports, disputed evidence and "biased, sloppy and incomplete" detective work. asserted

team → point → reports

They alleged prosecutors relied on "unreliable people with criminal records, financial motivations and inconsistent statements". asserted

prosecutors → allege → records

The defence also argued witnesses changed their stories over time and were influenced by money, media attention or information supplied by investigators. asserted

witnesses → argue → investigators

Opening statements began on Monday after a week of jury selection. asserted

statements → open → selection

Over the next few weeks, witnesses, experts, investigators and possibly even some celebrity witnesses are slated to give evidence about what occurred that night. uncertain

what → slat → evidence

Prosecutors allege that Davis acquired a gun and organised two vehicles to travel to a Las Vegas club, one of them a white Cadillac, which carried three other men, including his nephew, Anderson. asserted

which → allege → nephew

Palal told the jury they the men decided to "get some booze and go back to the Vegas strip and party", prosecutors said. asserted

prosecutors → tell → strip

On their journey, however, they saw a caravan of cars - and spotted Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight in one of the vehicles. asserted

they → see → vehicles

Palal alleges that's when Davis and the others in the Cadillac decided to make a U-turn and confront Shakur and Knight. asserted

Davis → allege → Shakur

Davis, who was in the passenger seat, he said, passed a gun to Anderson, who shot into Shakur's car. asserted

who → say → car

…and 6 more, not listed.

Tupac murder trial: 'All hell broke loose' night of rapper's shooting, witness says

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