Davis, the only person ever charged in connection with Shakur’s killing, could face life imprisonment without parole. He told the judge that he plans to appeal the verdict.
Prosecutors accused Davis, a former leader of the Southside Compton Crips, of orchestrating the fatal drive-by shooting in retaliation for the beating of his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, by Shakur and members of the rapper’s entourage.
The altercation happened at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on 7 September 1996, hours before the shooting.
Shakur was later riding in a BMW driven by Death Row Records executive Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled alongside them at a red light and someone inside opened fire.
Shakur, then 25, was struck multiple times. He died from his injuries six days later.
Knight survived.
Davis was not accused of firing the fatal shots. Prosecutors instead argued that he organized the retaliatory attack and provided the gun used in the shooting.
Under Nevada law, a person who aids or facilitates a killing may be held criminally responsible for murder even if that person did not pull the trigger.
Davis had said that he and three other men, including his nephew, went looking for Shakur and Knight after the casino confrontation.
He also recounted passing a gun to the backseat of the Cadillac before shots were fired at Shakur’s vehicle.
The three other men who were in the Cadillac have since died, while prosecutors have not identified who fired the fatal shots.
Davis’ own words become evidence
Much of the prosecution’s case was built around Davis’ own accounts of the killing over the years.
Police had long suspected Davis of involvement but lacked enough evidence to charge him until he publicly discussed the shooting in interviews and his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend.”
Jurors heard hours of recorded conversations in which Davis discussed the events surrounding Shakur’s killing.
His defense argued that the statements were exaggerated bravado and could not be sufficiently corroborated, maintaining that Davis had embellished stories about the case for attention and financial gain.
Prosecutors, however, argued that despite differences in some details over the years, Davis repeatedly described his involvement in the events leading to the shooting.
The jury ultimately sided with the prosecution.
Shakur’s killing became one of the most enduring mysteries in music history and a defining moment in 1990s hip-hop.
The rapper was one of the genre’s most influential figures, known for music that explored poverty, racism, violence and life in marginalized communities.
His murder also came during an era marked by highly publicized tensions between figures associated with the East Coast and West Coast hip-hop scenes.
Nearly 30 years later, Davis’ conviction marks the first time anyone has been found criminally responsible for Shakur’s killing.
