On Thursday in Las Vegas jurors heard a 2008 police interview with Duane Keffe Davis, a 63‑year‑old former gang leader, about the 1996 drive‑by shooting that killed rap superstar Tupac Shakur.
The testimony, now part of the prosecution’s case, revealed that Davis had handed the deadly weapon he carried to his nephew Orlando Anderson. Anderson then fired a burst of shots that struck Shakur and left him dead. Davis has maintained that he did not personally discharge the gun.
The prosecution argues that although Davis did not shoot, he ordered the attack and supplied the weapon to the gang he helped lead, thereby making him a key orchestrator in the murder.
During the interview, Davis also mentioned former interactions with Sean Diddy Combs regarding plans to harm Shakur, citing a conversation that took place during a Bad Boy Records tour. These statements, prosecutors say, further illustrate a premeditated intent.
Davis’s defense team, led by Michael Sanft, contested the reliability of the recorded exchange and urged the jury to consider the lack of eyewitnesses who could confirm the shooter’s identity. They also highlighted inconsistencies in the police investigation and questioned the veracity of the accusatory memoir titled Compton Street Legend, which Davis co‑authored.
The trials is a continuation of a 30‑year old case that has drawn public fascination. The court proceedings are expected to last several weeks and may result in a verdict that clarifies the role of gang leadership in the tragedy that claimed a national icon’s life.
