Shocking Tupac Crime Scene Photos Resurface as Trial Begins for Man Accused of Killing Rapper Three Decades Ago
Tupac Shakur was shot four times inside his BMW in the Las Vegas Strip ambush attack.
Aug. 10 2026, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
As the murder trial of the man accused of killing Tupac Shakur finally gets underway, haunting photos of the blood-soaked car where the rap icon was gunned down have resurfaced, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Jury selection began for Duane 'Keffe D' Davis, the 63-year-old accused of firing 14 shots into Shakur's and Marion 'Suge' Knight's BMW sedan on the Las Vegas Strip on September 7, 1996, and the pictures from inside the vehicle are reigniting memories of the deadly ambush.
Marion 'Suge' Knight Escaped Being Shot
Marion 'Suge' Knight was not hit by the hail of 14 bullets.
As the duo sat at a red light at the intersection of East Flamingo Road and Koval Lane, a white four-door Cadillac suddenly pulled up alongside the driver's side of the BMW, where Knight was behind the wheel. Moments later, a rear passenger rolled down a window and unleashed a hail of bullets into the car where Shakiur was seated.
The Dear Mama rapper was hit by four shots while Knight wasn't hit, suffering a minor graze from shrapnel.
Photos from the vehicle's interior showed the majority of the blood was on Knight's side, including the bottom and side of his seat, as well as the steering wheel.
A bloody rag sat on the console between the two men seated inside the vehicle.
The Gunfire Was Aimed at Tupac Shakur's Side of the Car
Shakur was sitting in the front passenger's seat when he was shot four times.
Despite bearing the brunt of the gunfire, the passenger seat where Shakur had been sitting showed only a few blood stains and no visible bullet holes, though shattered glass was scattered across the area.
A Diet Coke can rested on the seat, in a grim reminder of how quickly the violence unfolded.
Shakur was struck by two bullets to the chest, one in the arm, and one in the thigh, but didn't die immediately from his wounds.
Instead, he was rushed to the hospital, where the California Love artist underwent multiple surgeries and was placed in a medically induced coma.
After battling for his life for six days, Shakur was pronounced dead on September 13, following respiratory failure and cardiopulmonary arrest.
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis Arrested 27 Years After Tupac Shakur's Murder
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis wrote in his memoir that he was in the white Cadillac that ambushed Shakir's vehicle.
Davis was arrested in September 2023 and is standing trial on one count of murder by use of a deadly weapon. He has pleaded not guilty to Shakur's slaying.
75 potential jurors were called to Clark County District Court on Monday, August 10, as jury selection could take up to a week.
Judge Carli Kierny is presiding over the trial, which is expected to take up to five weeks.
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis Claimed He Was Inside the Car From Which the Shots Were Fired
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Davis is accused of being the 'shot caller' in Shakur's murder.
Davis has changed his story over the years about his involvement in Shakur's murder.
During a 2019 appearance on BET’s show Death Row Chronicles, the former gang leader claimed to have been in the vehicle but refused to name who pulled the trigger.
"Going to keep it for the code of the streets. Just came from the backseat, bro," he proclaimed.
The shooting was allegedly in retaliation for Shakur and members of his entourage beating Davis' nephew inside the Las Vegas MGM Grand shortly before the ambush.
The former South Side Compton Crips leader was the alleged "shot caller" who directed the attack.
In his 2019 memoir Compton Street Legend, Davis wrote that he was sitting in the front passenger seat when "I tossed the Glock into the backseat."
"Tupac made an erratic move and began to reach down beneath his seat,” Davis continued. “It was the first and only time in my life that I could relate to the police command, ‘Keep your hands where I can see them.’ Instead, Pac pulled out a strap, and that’s when the fireworks started. One of my guys from the back seat grabbed the Glock and started bustin’ back."
Davis declared to ABC News in a 2024 jailhouse interview, "I'm innocent," while calling himself a "good man."
