Trial begins in Las Vegas over alleged orchestration of Tupac Shakur killing by former gang leader

A murder trial began Monday in a Las Vegas courtroom over the 1996 killing of rap star Tupac Shakur, with prosecutors accusing former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis of orchestrating the shooting. The case opens with testimony from a witness to the shooting and from a former police officer, as jurors hear early evidence about how prosecutors say Shakur’s death was carried out.

According to reporting on the first day, the prosecution’s presentation included testimony that a member of Shakur’s entourage was involved in an incident that prosecutors say ties to the broader case. The Guardian reported that Shakur’s entourage was filmed beating Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, Davis’s nephew, in September 1996, a sequence that prosecutors cite as part of the context leading to Shakur’s killing.

Prosecutors also have framed the case around the allegation that Davis, known in gang circles, ordered the killing after tensions escalated in the period surrounding Shakur’s murder. The trial’s initial witness testimony is expected to focus on what happened at the time of the shooting, including how the attack unfolded and how investigators connected the alleged order to Davis, the defendant.

Defense attorneys, as reflected in the structure of such cases, are expected to contest the prosecution’s theory of orchestration and the credibility or reliability of witness testimony. With the trial at its opening stage, court proceedings will continue to examine what evidence links Davis to the actions prosecutors say were taken on Shakur’s final day.

The trial is being conducted in Las Vegas, where authorities have pursued the case over the years. The Guardian report states that the proceedings began Monday and will include additional witnesses as the prosecution works to prove Davis’s role beyond the shooter’s immediate actions.

While the case centers on a cultural figure whose work reshaped hip-hop, the evidentiary focus is on criminal liability and procedure. Jurors will be asked to evaluate competing accounts of events from more than two decades ago, as well as the meaning of recorded footage and law enforcement testimony that the prosecution says help connect the alleged motive, relationships, and chain of events.

As the trial moves forward, the court’s next steps will likely include more witnesses from the investigation and additional testimony intended to establish timelines, identify participants, and address disputed factual issues. The outcome will depend on whether jurors conclude that the government has met its burden of proof that Davis ordered Shakur’s killing, rather than merely being connected to surrounding events.

The case is also likely to draw renewed attention from fans and cultural historians, given Shakur’s continuing prominence. However, the courtroom record will focus on whether the prosecution can establish the specific charge against Davis, including the alleged decision-making that prosecutors say resulted in a fatal attack.