Who actually murdered Tupac Shukur had been one of hip-hop’s most enduring mysteries. Finally, there seems to be some insight as Duane “Keefe D” Davis, a prominent figure in the Los Angeles Southside Crips gang, has been arrested. Keefe D (some media outlets have his nickname spelled Keffe D) was charged with murder linked to the 1996 killing of the superstar hip-hop artist and actor, who also went by the name 2Pac.

Here are five things to know.

1. The death of Tupac

Superstar hip-hop artist and actor Tupac Shakur was shot on Sept. 7, 1996, in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. He was just 25 years old. He died days later on Sept. 13, 1996, at the University Medical Center, Las Vegas. A manhunt ensued, but no one was ever arrested in the murder–until now.

Lots of rumors and conspiracy theories swirled, but there was one person’s name consistently popped up–Orlando Anderson, a Los Angeles gang member who was involved in a physical altercation with Tupac in Vegas. Anderson later died on May 29, 1998, in a gang-related shooting. His uncle is Keefe D, an L.A. gang leader.

2. Who is Keefe D 

Duane Keith “Keefe D” Davis, born on June 14, 1963, is a reputed member and alleged leader of the South Side Compton Crips. He was a childhood friend of N.W.A. frontman Eazy-E.

3. The 2023 raid

Keefe D was the target of the warrant served in Henderson, Nevada, the search warrant issued by the Las Vegas Police Department on July 17 in the investigation of the murder of Tupac Shakur. Police were looking for laptops and other electronic devices at the home of a gang member who said he was in the car when the superstar rapper was fatally shot in Las Vegas in 1996, according to the warrant, exclusively obtained by NBC News.

 Police searched desktops and other electronic storage devices, such as thumb drives, CDs, external hard drives, and audio recordings, according to the warrant.

Investigators were also looking for “notes, writings, ledgers, and other handwritten or typed documents concerning television shows, documentaries, YouTube episodes, book manuscripts, and movies concerning the murder of Tupac Shakur,” the warrant noted.

“Duane Davis was the shot caller for this group of individuals that committed this crime,” said Las Vegas police homicide Lt. Jason Johansson.

4. Keefe D’s admissions

During the early 1990s, Davis claimed a friendship with Sean “Diddy” Combs, sparking theories implicating Diddy in Tupac’s murder. However, there has been no concrete evidence to support these allegations.

Keefe D himself has openly discussed his involvement over the years, admitting to providing the gun used in Tupac’s drive-by shooting.

He was one of four individuals in the suspect vehicle during the fatal incident.

5. The Recent Arrest and Prosecution

On Sept. 29, 2023, Davis, 60, was arrested and charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon in connection to Tupac’s killing. Authorities labeled him as the group’s ringleader, alleging he orchestrated the plan leading to Tupac’s fatal shooting.

The grand jury also voted to add a sentencing enhancement to the murder charge for gang activity that could add up to 20 additional years if he’s convicted, AP News reported.

Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill speaks beside a photo of Duane “Keefe D” Davis during a news conference on an indictment in the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, Sept. 29, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)