Jada Pinkett Smith has opened up about the arrest of Duane “Keffe D” Davis in connection to the 1996 shooting death of Tupac Shakur. The actress and Shakur were close friends who met one another when they were both students at Baltimore School of the Arts. Smith updated her Instagram Story with a simple message that read, “Now I hope we can get some answers and have some closure. R.I.P. Pac.”
Shakur was shot four times on Sept. 7, 1996, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The rapper and poet had recently left a boxing match in the city and was sitting in the car when he was hit. He ultimately died from his injuries on Sept. 13 of that year.
Davis has never denied being inside the white Cadillac that pulled up next to Shakur, but has insisted he was seated in the front passenger seat and that the shots were fired from the car’s back seat.
Smith has previously described Shakur as her best friend. The pair met on their first day of school, and she said that the rapper “came over to me and introduced himself,” despite the fact that, “definitely from looking at him, wasn’t necessarily the type of cat that I would even like, deal with.”
“But as soon as he approached me, he was like a magnet,” she added. “Once you paid attention to him he kind of sucked you in. And we hit it off from that moment on.” Smith added that at different times, Shakur felt like a brother and a father figure. She said, “The type of relationship we had… you only get that once in a lifetime…”
Shakur’s sister Sekyiwa Shakur also commented on Davis’ arrest. She wrote on Instagram, “This is no doubt a pivotal moment. The silence of the past 27 years surrounding this case has spoken loudly in our community. It’s important to me that the world, the country, the justice system, and our people acknowledge the gravity of the passing of this man, my brother, my mother’s son, my father’s son.
“His life and death matters, and should not go unsolved or unrecognized, so yes, today is a victory but I will reserve judgement until all the facts and legal proceedings are complete. There have been multiple hands involved and there remains so much surrounding the life and death of my brother Tupac and our Shakur family overall. We are seeking real justice, on all fronts,” Sekyiwa Shakur concluded.
Following Friday’s arrest, Las Vegas homicide lieutenant Jason Johansson told CNN, “Duane Davis was the shot-caller for this group of individuals that committed this crime. He orchestrated the plan that was carried out to commit this crime.” Johansson added that almost everyone else associated with Shakur’s death has also died.
Shakur was born on June 16, 1971, in Harlem. He and his sister were raised by their mother, Afeni Shakur, a former member of the Black Panther party. The family moved to Oakland, California, which Shakur ultimately considered to be his home.
He released a total of 11 platinum albums, though seven were released after he died. Shakur was known for his focus on social and political issues and causes, and has served as an inspiration to generations of people around the world.
