Tupac Trial Witness Tells Accused 'I Don't Want to Send You to Prison'
During the second day of the murder trial for Duane "Keffe D" Davis, James "Mob James" McDonald, a former enforcer for Death Row Records, took the stand to discuss the 1996 drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur. McDonald expressed his internal conflict and chose not to name those involved, saying, "I don't want to send you to prison." He requested to be recognized as a "hostile witness" and cautioned that some responses "wouldn't be good" for Davis, who maintains his innocence. McDonald confirmed that within Shakur's circle, there were rumors about Davis's nephew, Orlando Anderson, being implicated. The trial, occurring 30 years after Shakur's passing at 25, will proceed on Wednesday, underscoring the lasting influence of gang culture in hip-hop.
Key facts
- Duane 'Keffe D' Davis is charged with murder in the death of Tupac Shakur and has pleaded not guilty.
- James 'Mob James' McDonald testified that he was threatened with contempt of court for refusing to testify.
- McDonald told the court to treat him as a 'hostile witness' and said he did not want to send Davis to prison.
- McDonald was a former enforcer at Death Row Records and a member of the Mob Piru gang.
- Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on 7 September 1996, at age 25, after a Mike Tyson fight.
- The trial comes 30 years after Shakur's death.
- Reggie Wright Jr., a former Shakur security member and later Death Row general manager, testified on the same day.
- Davis previously co-authored a memoir claiming he supplied the gun and was a passenger in the shooter's vehicle, but later distanced himself from it.
Entities
Artists
- Tupac Shakur
- Duane 'Keffe D' Davis
- James 'Mob James' McDonald
- Michael Sanft
- Orlando Anderson
- Suge Knight
- Reggie Wright Jr.
- Rodney King
- Mike Tyson
Institutions
- Death Row Records
- South Side Compton Crips
- Mob Piru
- Blood street gang
- BBC Sounds
Locations
- Las Vegas
- United States
- Compton
- Los Angeles