LAS VEGAS — Some members of Tupac Shakur’s family stepped out of the courtroom Tuesday before prosecutors showed photos from his autopsy at the Las Vegas trial of the man charged in the killing of the rap giant.
Others remained in the courtroom to face the grim facts of what happened to his body.
The grisly photos came on the second day of testimony in the trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who is charged with orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.
Dr. Lisa Gavin, a forensic pathologist and medical examiner for Clark County, Nevada, described Shakur’s injuries and explained his cause of death. Jurors were shown photos of his body. Some relatives who remained in the courtroom looked away.
Tupac’s family in the Las Vegas courtroom
Shakur’s cousin Zayd Akinyela said he wanted to stay in court to learn more.
“I feel like the details, especially for people that are close to him, honestly for me helps, helps the grief process. I think we’ve been waiting 30 years to grieve properly,” Akinyela told The Associated Press outside the courtroom. “A lot of people don’t get to grieve until they understand what happened to their loved one and how it happened.” He added, “That’s why I wanted to stay and just see for my own personal closure.”
He said he hadn’t known how many times his cousin was shot and can’t help but think of the ways the night could have played out differently.
Seeing the photos of Shakur’s body made him feel “Very angry, very angry, to say the least, very sad,” Akinyela said.
What the forensic pathologist said about the gunshots
Gavin described three bullets, one of which travelled through Shakur’s chest, including through a lung. That caused his lung to collapse and bleed, and doctors ultimately removed the damaged lung in an effort to save his life, she said.
Additional bullets damaged his intestines and other parts of his body, she said.
Jurors looked intently at the photos of Shakur’s body, which was bloated and had multiple chest wounds. The nearly full courtroom was quiet. Photos showed his tattoos and the chest tubes that were still in his body from the six days he spent in the hospital before dying.
Gavin was not at Shakur’s autopsy but was called as an expert witness because the examiner from 30 years ago has since died.
Surveillance video of a clash before the drive-by shooting
Prosecutors allege Shakur was killed to avenge Shakur’s entourage attacking Davis’ nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson a few hours earlier at the MGM Grand after a Mike Tyson fight.
Jurors were shown the casino surveillance video of a group of people beating and kicking someone on the ground.
The video then showed Shakur and his entourage moving quickly through the crowded building in the minutes after.
A few hours later, Shakur, riding in a black BMW with hip-hop mogul Marion “Suge” Knight, was gunned down by shots fired from a white Cadillac that had Davis, Anderson and two other men inside. Davis is not accused of pulling the trigger.
‘Hostile’ witness refuses to revisit the past
After many technical and procedural witnesses, James McDonald brought both hostility and humor to the stand when he testified unwillingly under a court order.
McDonald, like Knight, had been affiliated with the Mob Piru Bloods gang, and worked security for Knight at his Club 662, where Shakur and Knight had been headed when they were fired on. Davis was a member of the rival South Side Compton Crips.
Asked by Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal if he was aware of why Anderson was beaten, he wouldn’t say.
“I’m aware of a lot of things,” McDonald said, “things that was going on, people ain’t talked about them in 30 years. Today ain’t one of them.”
He said, “Me or anybody else bringing up the dead is wrong,” and “you’d better treat me as a hostile witness.”
McDonald said he wanted to avoid answering questions that will hurt Davis.
“Here I am explaining to people what I used to be. I’m not proud of that,” McDonald said. “I don’t want to send him to prison, even though we don’t like each other.”
He directly addressed the defendant. “What you’re going through, brother, is what you’re going through,” McDonald said, adding ”I didn’t want to be a part of it.” Davis had no visible reaction.
But McDonald also brought several moments of levity.
Asked if there were specific fights or disputes he could remember regarding the gang rivalry, McDonald said, “Are you serious?!” and laughter broke out in the courtroom.
Death Row security officer chronicles Bad Boy rivalry
Reggie Wright Jr., a former Compton police officer who owned a security company that was contracted by Knight’s Death Row Records, detailed the way tension had grown between the label and Sean “Diddy” Combs Bad Boy Records leading up to the Shakur shooting.
He said he had doubled Shakur’s security guards after he released the video for “Hit ‘Em Up,” one of the most vicious diss tracks in the history of hip-hop, aimed at Bad Boy’s Notorious B.I.G., who was killed six months later.
Wright said Shakur was to perform at Club 662 to fulfill required community service. He was on probation for California weapons and assault convictions.
After the shooting, Wright went to University Medical Center where Shakur was taken, and said a crowd was gathering there. He called his father, who worked in the Compton Police Department’s gang division, to tell him about the brawl and shooting, and warned him that trouble could be coming there.
Wright testified that he received Shakur’s ashes after he was cremated, and saw that they got to Shakur’s family.
Wright has long been among those rumored to be involved in Shakur’s killing.
Palal asked him if he had anything to do with it.
“Absolutely not,” Wright replied.
Tupac’s legacy and memory
Shakur remains a cultural icon. He is considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time and had a burgeoning film career as an actor. He died as his popularity was peaking at age 25, and his legend has only grown in the years since.
Akinyela, Shakur’s cousin, said, “I’m very spiritual, so just seeing the body doesn’t affect me the same way as it might some people. I do believe that his spirit is still around and still lives on through his family and through his legacy.”
Jessica Hill, The Associated Press
Associated Press Writer Rebecca Boone contributed from Boise, Idaho and AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton contributed from Los Angeles.
