Nevada

Nevada judge delays trial for suspect in Tupac’s murder to next year

Published

1 year ago

February 18, 2025

Nevada judge delays trial for suspect in Tupac’s murder to next year

A Nevada judge on Tuesday delayed the murder trial of the sole suspect ever charged in the 1996 killing of rap legend Tupac Shakur, postponing it for nearly a year.

Citing new developments from the defense and the need for a fair trial, the judge said she had little choice but to reschedule.

Why It Matters

Duane “Keffe D” Davis is the only suspect ever charged in the 1990s murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. A former gang leader, Davis is accused of orchestrating the shooting near the Las Vegas Strip that resulted in Shakur’s death shortly after a casino brawl involving Shakur and Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson. Davis was arrested in September 2023 in his neighborhood near Las Vegas.

In interviews and his 2019 memoir detailing Davis’ experiences as a leader of a Crips gang faction in Compton, he recounted acquiring a .40-caliber handgun and giving it to his nephew, who was seated in the back of a car. According to Davis and authorities, shots were fired from this car at Shakur, who was in another vehicle. Shakur succumbed to his injuries a week later at the age of 25.

Davis and his attorney had previously contended that he should not have been charged with murder due to immunity agreements he claimed to have made with federal and local authorities years ago. Their attempt to dismiss the case failed.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis walks into District Court for a status check on trial readiness for his involvement in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, in Las Vegas.

AP Photo/John Locher, Pool

What To Know

Originally set for next month in Las Vegas, the trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis is now scheduled for February 9, 2026. The judge also ordered prosecutors and the defense to return for a status hearing over the summer.

“It looks like there are quite a few things that are left to be done to get this case prepared so that Mr. Davis can have effective assistance of counsel,” Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny said Tuesday.

When the judge asked if he was OK with the lengthy delay, Davis agreed.

The delay comes after Davis’ defense team filed a motion on Friday to request additional time for witness interviews and investigative work. The lawyers said a private investigator identified witnesses who could testify that Davis was not at the scene of the shooting.

The defense attorneys also suggested they have witness information to indicate that Shakur was in stable condition after the shooting but later died suddenly after being hospitalized for a week.

Since his September 2023 arrest, Davis has continued to request for bond—set at $750,000—and has faced repeated denials.

Davis’ attorney had also previously offered to provide additional financial records to prove that Davis and the music record executive aren’t planning to reap profits from the sale of Davis’ life story and that the money was legally obtained.

Attorney Carl Arnold has argued that Davis should’ve never been charged because of immunity agreements he reached with federal and local prosecutors years ago.

What People Are Saying

At the July hearing, Davis spoke and attacked prosecutors for “trashing” his family: “They not only ugly on the outside but they ugly on the inside too.”

What’s Next

The trial is now scheduled for February 9, 2026.

This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is available.

Reporting by The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Update 02/18/25 1:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

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Nevada

Earthquake swarm rattles central Nevada near Tonopah along newly identified fault

Published

8 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Earthquake swarm rattles central Nevada near Tonopah along newly identified fault

A swarm of earthquakes has been rattling a remote stretch of central Nevada near Tonopah, including a magnitude 4.0 quake that hit near Warm Springs Tuesday morning.

Seismologists said the activity is typical for Nevada, where clusters of earthquakes can flare up in a concentrated area. “This is a very Nevada-style earthquake sequence. We have these a lot where we just see an uptick in activity in a certain spot,” said Christie Rowe, director of the Nevada Seismological Lab.

The latest magnitude 4.0 quake struck east of Tonopah near Warm Springs. The largest earthquake in the swarm so far has measured a 4.2.

What has stood out to researchers is the fault involved. Rowe said the earthquakes are occurring along a fault stretching along the southern edge of the Monitor and Antelope ranges — and that it was previously unknown to scientists. “We didn’t know this fault was there. It’s a new fault to us — not to the Earth, obviously — but it was previously unknown,” Rowe said.

For now, the earthquakes have remained moderate. Rowe said the lab would not deploy additional temporary sensors unless activity increases to around a magnitude 5 or greater.

Seismologists said they are continuing to watch the swarm closely as Nevada works to bring the ShakeAlert early warning system to the state. The program, already active in neighboring states, can send cellphone alerts seconds before shaking arrives. “For me, it’s a really high priority. That distance to the faults gives us enough time to warn people — and that can make a big difference in reducing injuries and damage,” Rowe said.

Seismologists encouraged anyone who feels shaking to report it through the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Did You Feel It” system, saying even small quakes can help scientists better understand Nevada’s seismic activity.

Experts said the swarm is worth monitoring but is not cause for alarm. They noted that earthquakes like the 5.8 that hit near Yerington in December 2024 typically happen in Nevada about every eight to 10 years, and said they will continue monitoring the current activity closely.

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Nevada

Kalshi Enforcement Action Belongs in Nevada Court, Judge Says

Published

20 hours ago

March 3, 2026

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Kalshi Enforcement Action Belongs in Nevada Court, Judge Says

Nevada state court is the proper venue for reviewing whether KalshiEX LLC is improperly accepting sports wagers without a license, a federal district court said.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board showed that the state statutes under which it seeks relief don’t require interpreting federal law, Judge Miranda M. Du of the US District Court for the District of Nevada said in a Monday order. The board’s action is now remanded to the First Judicial District Court in Carson City, Nev., the order said.

The board in 2025 urged Kalshi, a financial services company, to get a gaming license, but the …

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Nevada

EDITORIAL: Nevada still vulnerable as tourist downturn continues

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

EDITORIAL: Nevada still vulnerable as tourist downturn continues

Strip gaming executives can put their best spin on the numbers, but local tourism indicators remain a major concern. Casino operators seeking to draw more people through the door still have much work to do.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board released January gaming numbers Friday. The news was underwhelming. The state gaming win was down 6.6 percent from a year earlier. The Strip took the largest hit, an 11 percent drop. But the gloomy returns were spread throughout Clark County: Downtown Las Vegas was off 5.2 percent, Laughlin suffered a 3.3 percent decline and the Boulder Strip dipped by 7 percent.

For the current fiscal year, gaming tax collections are up a paltry
2.1 percent, below budget projections.

The red flags include more than gaming numbers. Recently released figures for 2025 reveal that visitation to Las Vegas fell nearly 8 percent from 2024, which represented the lowest total since the pandemic in 2021. Traffic at Reid International Airport fell more than 10 percent in December and was down 6 percent for the year. Strip occupancy rates fell 3 percent in 2025.

To be fair, this is not just a Las Vegas problem. International travel to the United States was down
4.8 percent in January, Forbes reported, the ninth straight month of decline. Travel from Europe fell 5.2 percent, and passenger counts from Asia fell 7.5 percent. Canadian tourism cratered by 22 percent.

No doubt that President Donald Trump’s blustery rhetoric has played a role in the decline, but there’s more at work. International tourism has been largely flat since Barack Obama’s last few years in office. But domestic travel has held relatively steady although it is “starting to cool,” according to the U.S. Travel Association. Las Vegas hasn’t been helped by high-profile complaints last year about exorbitant Strip prices for parking, bottled water and other staples. Casino operators responded by offering discounts, particularly for locals, and they’ll need to continue those policies into 2026.

The tourism downturn has ramifications for the state budget, which relies primarily on sales and gaming tax revenues to support spending plans. “Nevada’s employment and economic challenges reflect deep structural factors that extend beyond cyclical economic fluctuations,” noted a recent report by economic analyst John Restrepo. “The state’s extreme concentration in tourism and gaming creates unique vulnerabilities.”

The irony is that state and local politicians have been talking for the past half century about “diversifying” the state economy. In recent years, that effort has primarily consisted of handing out millions in tax breaks and other incentives to attract businesses to the state. A dispassionate observer might ask whether that approach has brought an adequate return on investment.

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