Nearly three decades after Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting, the conviction of Duane “Keffe D” Davis has brought a legal resolution to a case that remained unsolved for years. But for Shakur’s family, friends and those who followed his career, the verdict has not erased the sense of loss surrounding his death.

Shakur was 25 and at the height of his career when he was shot in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996. He was riding in a BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight when gunfire erupted from a white Cadillac. Knight was grazed by a bullet, while Shakur was struck several times, including by a bullet that damaged one of his lungs. He died six days later.

Davis was accused of being inside the Cadillac from which the shots were fired. He was convicted of first-degree murder last month and remains the only person ever charged in connection with Shakur’s killing.

The other alleged occupants of the Cadillac included Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, Deandre “Big Dre” Smith and a driver identified in police investigations and Davis’ book as Terrence “Bubble Up” Brown. Anderson denied involvement in the shooting before his death in 1998 in a gang-related killing. Smith and Brown have also since died, according to Las Vegas police.

The case against Davis relied heavily on statements and accounts he had previously given. In a book he co-authored, Compton Street Legend, Davis described his involvement in the events surrounding the shooting. Prosecutors also pointed to interviews he gave to law enforcement in 2008 and 2009 under a proffer agreement.

Davis’ defense argued that he was not actually responsible for writing the book and had exaggerated or fabricated details to help promote its sales. Despite those arguments, a jury ultimately convicted him of first-degree murder.

Shakur’s death became one of the most closely followed unsolved killings in popular music. His influence continued to grow after his death, with previously unreleased recordings becoming posthumous albums and several films he had appeared in being released after his death.

Before his killing, Shakur had established himself as one of rap’s most prominent artists through songs including “I Get Around,” “Dear Mama,” “California Love” and “How Do You Want It.” He also built a film career through roles in Juice, Poetic Justice and Above the Rim.

For people who knew Shakur or documented his career, the passage of time has added to the emotional weight of his death. Producer P. Frank Williams, who worked on a documentary series about the murder, said the conviction brought accountability but still felt incomplete after so many years.

Author Jeff Pearlman, who wrote Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, said Shakur’s death continued to trouble him because of the career and influence the rapper might have developed had he survived.

Williams, who covered Shakur’s death for the Los Angeles Times, said the rapper’s influence extended beyond music and suggested his family had waited too long for accountability.

The case is not necessarily over. Shakur’s stepbrother, Maurice “Mopreme” Shakur, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Davis and other unnamed defendants earlier this year. The complaint alleges that additional people involved in Shakur’s killing have never been held accountable.

Even after Davis’ conviction, Maurice Shakur has said that the justice he personally wants cannot be achieved because what he ultimately wants is to have his brother back.

SOURCE: CNN, Lisa Respers France, September 13, 2026.