Tupac Shakur murder trial: gang leader plotted killing to avenge beating of nephew, court hears

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>Prosecutors accuse Duane Davis of orchestrating 1996 shooting in retaliation for attack by rapper’s entourage</p><p>The trial of a former gang leader accused of orchestrating the 1996 killing of rap star <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2pac">Tupac Shakur</a> began in a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/las-vegas">Las Vegas</a> courtroom on Monday, featuring testimony from a witness to the shooting and a former police officer.</p><p>Duane “Keffe D” Davis is on trial for murder for his alleged role in the shooting of Shakur, who died after a drive-by shooting. Prosecutors allege Davis was the “on-the-ground, on-site commander of the effort to kill Tupac” and that he planned the shooting in retaliation for Shakur’s entourage attacking Davis’s nephew.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/aug/17/tupac-shakur-murder-trial-duane-davis">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.