On Friday, Las Vegas police indicted a man in connection to the deadly 1996 drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur.
Jada Pinkett Smith feels hopeful after Las Vegas police arrested a suspect in connection with Tupac Shakur's murder in 1996.
The 52-year-old took to Instagram after it was revealed that Duane "Keffe D" Davis was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning, marking a significant development in a case that has confounded investigators and captivated the public for nearly three decades.
"Now I hope we can get some answers and have some closure," Smith wrote in response to the arrest. "R.I.P. Pac," she finished, adding a dove emoji.
A Nevada grand jury indicted Davis on one count of murder with a deadly weapon, Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo announced in court Friday.
DiGiacomo described Davis as the "on-ground, on-site commander" who "ordered the death" of Shakur, who was killed at 25.
Davis has long been on the radar of law enforcement agencies and has openly acknowledged his presence in the Cadillac where the fatal shots were fired during the September 1996 drive-by shooting of Shakur -- a luminary in the world of hip-hop who was just 25 years old at the time of his death.
The "Dear Mama" rapper was in a car with Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up beside them and began shooting out of the back window, hitting Shakur. He died in the hospital from internal injuries on Sept. 13.
This arrest follows a series of recent developments that have reignited the investigation into Shakur's murder. Two months ago, on July 17, Las Vegas police executed a raid at the residence of Davis' wife in the nearby city of Henderson, which resulted in an intense face-off, according to TMZ. The search warrant specified the seizure of items "concerning the murder of Tupac Shakur," indicating a renewed focus on solving the long-standing mystery surrounding the rapper's assassination.
Shakur was one of the most popular rappers in the world when he was killed, selling over 75 million records worldwide -- and became a legend after his death, with dozens of posthumous albums, books, documentaries and films released about him and his untimely death. He was even turned into a hologram for Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre's 2012 Coachella performance. Shakur was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, and just last month, he posthumously received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Smith has always been candid about her close connection with Shakur before his death. The mother of two, who has said Shakur was her "best friend," opened up about her relationship with the late rapper during a 2018 episode of her Facebook Watch show, where she admitted that his death still affects her.
"I've had a lot of loss. So many of my close friends gone. They didn't make it to 30. They didn't make it past 25. A lot of people talk about my relationship with Pac and figure that out. That was a huge loss in my life," the Girls Trip star confessed.
She continued, "Because he was one of those people I expected to be here. My upset is more anger because I feel like he left me and I know that's not true and it's a very selfish way to think about it… I really did believe he'd be here for the long run. And when I think about it I still get really mad."
For more on their longtime friendship, watch the video below.
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