Prosecutors opened the murder trial of the man accused of killing Tupac Shakur on Tuesday, telling the jury the 1996 shooting was an act of revenge, according to News24.
The trial, underway in Las Vegas, centers on a Los Angeles gang leader who, prosecutors allege, masterminded the drive-by killing. The motive, they say, was retaliation for a beating the gang leader's nephew had suffered, per The Guardian.
News24 reports the accused killer was "out for revenge" when Shakur was gunned down in a vehicle on the Las Vegas Strip more than three decades ago. The prosecution's opening statements framed the shooting not as a random act of violence but as a calculated response to an earlier assault involving a family member.
The BBC, citing the trial's opening day, said prosecutors are alleging the murder was an act of revenge. Daily Maverick also reported that the prosecutor told the jury the gang leader orchestrated the drive-by shooting.
Shakur, one of hip-hop's most influential figures, died days after the September 1996 shooting. The case went cold for years before an arrest was made, leading to this trial.
The defense has not yet presented its case, and the trial is expected to continue in the coming weeks. The key question for the jury will be whether prosecutors can prove the gang leader's alleged role in planning the attack beyond a reasonable doubt.
