Las Vegas trial opens in Tupac Shakur killing as Duane Davis pleads not guilty

August 18, 2026 at 09:05 AM1 min

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Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, went on trial in Las Vegas on one count of murder with a deadly weapon in the 1996 shooting death of Tupac Shakur. Prosecution and defence delivered opening statements as Davis, a former gang leader, pleaded not guilty.

Key Facts

Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, faces one count of murder with a deadly weapon in Las Vegas over the killing of Tupac Shakur.
Davis has pleaded not guilty.
Tupac Shakur died following a drive-by shooting on 7 September 1996.
Prosecution and defence delivered opening statements as the long-awaited trial got under way.

Opening Statements

Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, appeared in a Las Vegas courtroom as prosecution and defence delivered opening arguments in the Tupac Shakur murder case. Davis, a former gang leader, faces one count of murder with a deadly weapon. Davis pleaded not guilty. The long-awaited trial is now under way.

The 1996 Killing

Tupac Shakur died following a drive-by shooting on 7 September 1996. Davis is on trial in Las Vegas over the murder of Tupac Shakur. The BBC's Shaimaa Khalil reported on key arguments from both sides as the trial opened.