Marion Suge Knight and Tupac Shakur (Photo by Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Duane “Keefe D” Davis sparked a wave of reactions from family, former friends, and fans after the Las Vegas Metro Police Department arrested him last week. That list includes Tupac Shakur’s sister, Suge Knight, and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Davis is behind bars on account of his connection to the murder of Tupac in 1996. Suge Knight, the former CEO of Death Row Records, was driving when bullets rained on the BMW near the Las Vegas strip. Pac was seated on the passenger side.
Keefe D’s indictment on Friday by the Nevada Grand Jury ended with one count of open murder with a gang enhancement.
At Wednesday’s (Oct. 4) arraignment, the one count of murder with a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement was reiterated. However, TMZ reports that Keefe D’s lawyer did not show up for the arraignment, meaning he’ll have to return to court within two weeks to enter his plea.
Editor’s Note: This article was published on Oct. 3, 2023, and updated on Oct. 4, 2023, to reflect new photos of Keefe D during his first court appearance.
Following Friday’s indictment, Suge Knight told TMZ he has no plans to testify or speak ill against Keefe D. Knight spoke to the outlet via phone as he serves a 28-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter.
In addition to swearing off snitching, Suge Knight reportedly claimed that Davis’ story about Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson being the shooter isn’t true. However, he wouldn’t reveal who he thinks did it and says he doesn’t ever plan to.
It’s unclear if prosecutors plan to call on Knight, but he insists they’re “barking up the wrong tree” by arresting Davis, per TMZ.
Meanwhile, Tupac’s sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, rejoiced at the news of the arrest after so many years. She took to Instagram with a brief message, adding that her family is seeking “real justice on all fronts.”
“This is no doubt a pivotal moment. The silence of the past 27 years surrounding this case has spoken loudly in our community. It’s important to me that the world, the country, the justice system, and our people acknowledge the gravity of the passing of this man, my brother, my mother’s son, my father’s son. His life and death matters and should not go unsolved or unrecognized, so yes, today is a victory, but I will reserve judgment until all the facts and legal proceedings are complete.”
Jada Pinkett Smith, who has long publicly praised her childhood friendship and alleged romance with Tupac Shakur, also took to Instagram with a reaction.
“Now I hope we can get some answers and have some closure. RIP Pac,” Jada wrote on IG Story.
In a memoir and public interviews, Davis has claimed he provided the gun his nephew Anderson used to shoot at the BMW. Anderson, who died two years after Tupac’s shooting, was allegedly seeking revenge.
A few days before Tupac got shot on Sept. 7, the South Side Crips snatched a chain from a Death Row Records label member at a California mall on account of gang beef, per KTNV Las Vegas. Sometime after, Death Row Records members jumped Orlando inside the Las Vegas MGM.
Lieutenant Jason Johansson of the LVMPD told KTNV that Anderson’s beatdown led to Tupac’s death. Though they’ve known about Keefe D’s involvement since 2010, he was protected by an aiding and abetting statute. He gave up his nephew’s name in exchange for a dropped case that could have ended in 25 years in prison.
Davis’ public confessions over the years gave police a new path to charge him, invalidating the proffer agreement.
“He thought he had some type of immunity. And so he went out there and boasted. Now it’s come back to haunt him,” Lieutenant Jason Johansson said.
