Tupac Shakur murder trial kicks off with opening statements

A murder trial has commenced in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Monday to address the 1996 drive-by shooting death of hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur. Duane Keffe D Davis, 63, is charged with a single count of murder using a deadly weapon and has pleaded not guilty. The alleged crime involved leading a group of men to kill Shakur, a renowned rapper, near the Las Vegas Strip.

Davis, a former street gang leader, is accused of instigating the shooting in retaliation for a beating Shakur and his associates received from Davis' nephew at the MGM Grand casino on September 7, 1996. At the time, Davis and the others were reportedly pursuing Shakur and his entourage, who had traveled to Las Vegas for a Mike Tyson boxing match. The shooting occurred after Davis and his associates caught up with Knight and Shakur's vehicle.

Although Shakur was struck four times and passed away six days later, the identity of the individual who pulled the trigger remains unconfirmed. The three other men in the Cadillac with Davis have since died. Davis claimed in 2018 interviews and his 2019 memoir, "Compton Street Legend," that he was in the front passenger seat of the Cadillac and handed the gun to one of the two men sitting behind him.

However, it is unclear whether Davis or one of the others fired the fatal shot. The case gained renewed attention due to Davis' public statements about his involvement in the shooting.

Should Davis be found guilty, he could face the death penalty under Nevada law, as he can be charged with murder if he participated in the crime without pulling the trigger. The trial, presided over by Judge Carli Kierny, is anticipated to last up to six weeks in a downtown Las Vegas courthouse. Potential testimony may come from Death Row Records co-founder Marion Suge Knight, a former rap mogul, who is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence for an unrelated voluntary manslaughter conviction.