After decades of mystery surrounding Tupac Shakur’s death, US police have arrested an ex-gangster, Duane Davis, connected to the shooting that led to his demise. The 25-year-old, New York-born rapper was shot four times in a drive-by attack in Las Vegas.
Duane Davis, 60, was arrested near his Las Vegas home on Friday. The police reported that he had long been a suspect and began implicating himself in series of public statements recently. He was taken into custody outside his home a day after a grand jury in Clark County, Nevada; returned an indictment against him.
Davis was charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon for his role in leading a grouping of men to kill Shakur near the Las Vegas strip. Las Vegas police (LVMPD) have shared his mugshot. Police claimed he planned the shot to avenge the beating of his nephew, Orlando Anderson, inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena by Tupac and his entourage on Sept 7, 1996 .
Metropolitan Police officer, Lieutenant Jason Johansson said at a news conference that Davis; “orchestrated the plan that was carried out to commit this crime”.
Mr. Johansson showed reporters hotel security camera footage of Anderson being beaten. He said this ultimately led to the retaliatory shooting of Shakur as he was waiting in his car at a red light.
According to Greg Kading, a retired Los Angeles police detective who spent years investigating Shakur’s murder, “All the other direct conspirators or participants are all dead”. He further said he is not surprised by Mr. Davis’ arrest as he referred to him as the “last man standing”.
Sheriff Kevin McMahan, also at the news conference revealed that the family of Tupac Shakur have been waiting on justice for 27 years. He further discredited those who strongly believed that the police department was not concerned about Shakur’s murder.
“I’m here to tell you: that was simply not the case.”
“Our goal at LVMPD has always been to hold those… responsible for Tupac’s violent murder accountable,” the sheriff added.
