US police have charged a former gang leader with the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, a breakthrough in a long-running case still gripping the public.
The
New York-born hip-hop legend was shot four times aged 25 in a drive-by attack
in Las Vegas.
On
Friday, Nevada's grand jury indicted Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 60, on
one count of murder with a deadly weapon.
Police
say he planned the deadly shooting after his nephew was involved in a fight
with Shakur in a casino.
Davis
was arrested near his Las Vegas home early on Friday, and will appear in court
within days. Las Vegas police (LVMPD) have shared his mugshot.
Greg
Kading, a retired Los Angeles police detective who spent years investigating
Shakur's murder, told the Associated Press he is not surprised by Mr Davis' arrest."All
the other direct conspirators or participants are all dead," Mr Kading
said, calling Mr Davis "the last man standing" in the case.
In
court, prosecutor Marc DiaGiacomo described Mr Davis - a former leader of the
South Side Compton Crips street gang - as the "on-ground, on-site
commander" who "ordered the death" of Shakur.
At
a news conference later on Friday, police officer Jason Johansson said the
force's persistence in the investigation had "ultimately paid off",
before explaining what led to the breakthrough.
He
said Orlando Anderson, the suspect's late nephew, and Shakur had been involved
in a fight in a casino shortly before the rapper was shot on 7 September 1996.
He died in hospital a few days later.
Mr
Johansson showed reporters hotel security camera footage of Anderson being
beaten. He said this ultimately led to the retaliatory shooting of Shakur as he
was waiting in his car at a red light.
The
officer added it became obvious very quickly that this was a gang-related
crime, and the case had been reviewed multiple times.
But
it was not until 2018, when new information came to light, that the case was
"reinvigorated".
Mr
Johansson also mentioned Mr Davis's "own admissions" to media outlets
that he was in the vehicle where the shots were fired from.
At
the same press conference, a visibly emotional Sheriff Kevin McMahill said that
"for 27 years the family of Tupac Shakur have been waiting for
justice".
"There
have been many people who did not believe that the murder of Tupac Shakur was
important to this police department. I'm here to tell you: that was simply not
the case."
"Our
goal at LVMPD has always been to hold those... responsible for Tupac's violent
murder accountable," the sheriff added.
Shakur,
whose stage name was stylised as 2Pac, released his debut album in 1991.
One
of the most acclaimed names in hip-hop, his death inspired several
documentaries.
He
sold more than 75 million records worldwide, enjoying chart success with hits
including California Love, All Eyez On Me and Changes.
He
also found success acting in films like Juice, Poetic Justice, Above The Rim,
Gridlock'd and Gang Related.
In
June this year the rapper received
a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.