August 18, 2026 | 04:02 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The murder trial over Tupac Shakur's 1996 killing opened with prosecutors arguing that Duane "Keffe D" Davis planned the shooting.
Almost three decades after the drive-by shooting they opened their case by telling jurors the rapper was shot dead in an act of gang revenge masterminded by a mobster.
“Let’s be clear, Duane Davis did not pull the trigger. But he did plan the shooting in retaliation of the beating of his nephew,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal said.
Davis, a one-time leader of the South Side Compton Crips gang, is charged in Clark County, Nevada, with a single count of murder using a deadly weapon.
The 63-year-old has pleaded not guilty.
What the prosecution said about 'shot caller' Davis
Davis ordered the killing after his nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, had been beaten by a rival gang, Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal told a court in Las Vegas Tuesday.
Palal showed videos Tuesday of Shakur's entourage attacking Anderson.
"Then, two and a half hours later... Tupac is gunned down in a drive-by shooting from a white Cadillac in an act of revenge," the prosecutor told jurors.
Palal said that Davis — who has been dubbed by the authorities as a "shot caller" — did not pull the trigger but "he did plan the shooting in retaliation of the beating of his nephew".
Palal went on to tell the jury: "Remarkably, you will learn that from Duane Davis himself," referring to Davis' previous interviews with law enforcement and the media, as well as his autobiography, where the accused describes Shakur's killing.
Davis said in the interviews and his 2019 memoir, "Compton Street Legend," that he was riding in the car from which Shakur was shot.
In an interview with a federal task force probing another killing, Davis spoke of the Shakur shooting. He described handing a gun to the men in the backseat of the white Cadillac that fired on the rapper's black BMW.
On Tuesday, prosecutors played audio of Davis explaining the moment Shakur was shot.
Davis' defense rails against 'sloppy' investigation
Representing Davis, attorney Michael Sanft called the prosecution's narrative "fiction" during the defense's opening statement.
Sanft said prosecutors had no real proof that his client was culpable. He said that after 30 years a police investigation has repeatedly failed to turn up a definitive version of events.
He called the investigation "biased," "sloppy" and "incomplete."
"Just look at the actual facts. What facts do you have to support any of what Keffe D said in any of his interviews or the book?" Sanft told the jury.
Sanft further said the accounts he gave in interviews and his memoir could not be corroborated.
Davis was seen at the trial wearing a blue suit and tie. He was also seen scanning the public gallery during testimony.
As per Nevada law, Davis can be charged with murder if he took part in the crime without firing the gun himself.
If convicted, he faces the possibility of life imprisonment without parole.
Meanwhile, the trial is expected to last up to six weeks.
Tupac Shakur — a cultural icon
Shakur, also known as 2Pac, was 25 when he was wounded in a drive-by shooting on Sept. 7, 1996.
He succumbed to his injuries in hospital six days later.
Although his death cut his immensely popular music career short, Shakur remains one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time.
Shakur's music often addressed issues facing Black Americans.
He was also a key figure in a hip-hop rivalry pitting the US East Coast against the West Coast.
Read: Philippines: Student Livestreams School Shooting
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Philippines: Student Livestreams School Shooting
1 jam lalu
Two students, including the shooter, have been killed and at least two others wounded at a private university campus in the Philippines.
Thai Ex-Lawmaker Shoots Local Official Dead Over Loan
7 hari lalu
A Thai former lawmaker confessed to shooting a senior official at a government office over a money dispute, police have said.
Thailand: Gunshots in Government Office, Ex-MP Arrested
8 hari lalu
Suspected shooter, reportedly a former lawmaker, fired at a senior official days after Thailand's deadliest shooting in nearly four years.
Thailand School Shooting Death Toll Rises to Nine After 12-Year-Old Girl Dies
9 hari lalu
Thailand's school shooting death toll rises to nine after a 12-year-old girl dies from critical injuries, with 14 others still hospitalized.
Thailand School Shooting Leaves Four Dead, Up to 20 Injured
11 hari lalu
Thailand school shooting kills four people, including teachers and students, while up to 20 others are injured at a Nonthaburi high school.
TikTok Influencer Shot Dead During Livestream in Mexico
12 hari lalu
Mexican influencer Cesar Gastelum, who had nearly 600,000 TikTok followers, was shot dead while livestreaming.
Multiple Dead in Shooting at Idaho In-N-Out Burger, Gunman Also Killed
16 hari lalu
Multiple people were killed and others injured in a shooting at a newly opened In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday.
Seattle Police Seek Third Suspect After Deadly Food Festival Shooting
21 hari lalu
Seattle police say a third suspect may be involved after a deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival left three dead and four injured.
US: Two Killed in Shooting in Seattle
22 hari lalu
A shooting at a Seattle food festival left two people dead and five others wounded. The police took the suspect into custody.
Indonesia Seeks Answers From Papua New Guinea Over Fisherman's Shooting
23 hari lalu
The Indonesian government is seeking clarification from Papua New Guinea (PNG) over a reported shooting that injured a captain of a fishing boat.
