'I Provided the Gun That Killed Tupac Shakur — and my Nephew Pulled the Trigger': Confession From Duane 'Keffe D' Davis Revealed as Murder Trial Begins 30 Years After Rapper Was Gunned Down in Las Vegas
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis previously claimed he gave his nephew the gun used to kill Tupac Shakur.
Aug. 10 2026, Published 12:50 p.m. ET
Jury selection in the murder trial of Tupac Shakur begins Monday, August 10, nearly 30 years after the rap icon was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis faces a single count of murder for allegedly orchestrating the 1996 slaying, which he previously confessed to in an explosive tell-all, revealing he gave his nephew the gun that ended Shakur's life.
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis Said the Hit on Tupac Shakur Was Payback
Davis' murder trial begins Monday, August 10.
Davis, a former Crips gang member, wrote that the fateful night all started with a brawl at the MGM Grand hours earlier, when members of rival gang the Bloods attacked Davis' nephew, the late Orlando 'Baby Lane' Anderson, after a Mike Tyson fight.
In response, Davis gathered a group of gang members and jumped into a Cadillac looking for payback.
"Tupac, Suge Knight and the rest of the n-----s didn't have any business putting their hands on my beloved nephew, Baby Lane. Period," Davis wrote. "Them jumping on my nephew gave us the ultimate green light to do something to their a--."
Before long, Davis and his crew caught up with Shakur and the shooting began.
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis Claimed He Handed the Gun to His Nephew
Davis claimed his nephew, Orlando 'Baby Lane' Anderson, was the one who actually pulled the trigger.
Decades later, during a recorded interview with LAPD homicide officer Greg Kading and federal agents in 2019, the 63-year-old ratted out Anderson to save himself from drug charges, telling investigators his nephew was the real trigger-man.
According to Kading, Davis said he picked up a Glock. 40 from a "secret compartment" in the car's armrest and handed it to Anderson, who fired off four rounds, striking Shakur. The All Eyez on Me hitmaker died six days later from his injuries at age 25.
"For us, Vegas was another day at the office," David wrote in his memoir. "It may sound cold-hearted, but from a street perspective, the killings of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls would be considered nothing more than collateral damage. As a result, the hip-hop world has lost two of its most talented and revered musical artists and icons."
Police Searched Duane 'Keffe D' Davis' Home After His 'Confession'
Davis 'bragged' about the hit in a personal memoir.
Anderson was shot to death in Compton in 1998 following a gun battle that left two other men dead. He was considered to be the prime suspect in the murder of Shakur, but was never charged.
Davis didn't know it at the time, but his words would come back to haunt him. As Radar reported, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department executed a search warrant on Davis on July 17, 2023.
According to a copy of the warrant, the authorities collected a desktop computer, a laptop, a cell phone, a hard drive, eleven .40-caliber bullets, tubs full of photos, 40 ink cartridges, and a copy of the book, among other items.
Davis has since tried to walk back his confession comments, maintaining his innocence while explaining that his admission to the killing in the book was just a ploy to make money for his family.
However, he has remained in custody on $750,000 bail since his arrest.
Lawyer Claims Duane 'Keffe D' Davis' Rights Were 'Violated'
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Shakur was shot and killed in September 1996.
His attorney, Carl Arnold, also agreed that his client made false public statements about the killing and should not be taken seriously.
Additionally, Arnold alleged that Davis' constitutional rights were violated after his previous confessions.
"Mr. Davis cooperated with law enforcement over the course of more than a decade, relying on repeated assurances that his statements would not be used against him – yet those very statements now form the core of the State's case," Arnold said in a statement.
He also stood by Davis' claim that he wasn't in Nevada at the time.
