Police reach potential breakthrough in Tupac Shakur murder case

Rapper Tupac Shakur in 1994.
(Image credit: Bob Berg/Getty Images)

Las Vegas police executed a search warrant in connection with the decades-dormant murder case of rapper Tupac Shakur, the department said Tuesday.

"LVMPD can confirm a search warrant was served in Henderson, Nevada on July 17, 2023, as part of the ongoing Tupac Shakur homicide investigation," the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said, per ABC News. "We will have no further comment at this time."

The search warrant was conducted at a local Henderson home after homicide detectives gathered enough evidence to proceed, investigators told ABC. It is unclear what police were looking for, or how the home involved may have been connected to the case.

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Shakur, widely considered one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop artists in history, was gunned down in a drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 7, 1996. Killed at only 25, Shakur "saw his legend grow after his death, as dozens of posthumous albums, books, documentaries, and films were released," The New York Times noted.

No suspect has ever been identified, and there has been little movement in the case in the 27 years since Shakur's death. Some have pointed to a possible connection between Shakur's death and that of rapper Notorious B.I.G., who was similarly gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles six months later.

In 2015, Las Vegas police told the Los Angeles Times that the case had stalled not because of a lack of evidence, but because "witnesses in Shakur's entourage refused to cooperate" with the investigation. Following the recent search warrant, though, the evidence collected will be presented to a Las Vegas grand jury. While police believe the actual gunman is likely long dead, investigators told ABC there is hope that this new evidence could lead them to the gunman's accomplice.

Update: This article has been updated to correct the location of Notorious B.I.G.'s death.

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Justin Klawans

Justin Klawans is a staff writer at The Week. Based in Chicago, he was previously a breaking news reporter for Newsweek, writing breaking news and features for verticals including politics, U.S. and global affairs, business, crime, sports, and more. His reporting has been cited on many online platforms, in addition to CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

He is also passionate about entertainment and sports news, and has covered film, television, and casting news as a freelancer for outlets like Collider and United Press International, as well as Chicago sports news for Fansided.