The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has arrested a suspect in connection with the 1996 murder ofTupac Shakur,marking the biggest break in the cold case in nearly 27 years, according to theAssociated PressandABC News.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis was taken into custody Friday morning, law enforcement sources with knowledge of the arrest told the Associated Press. Davis was charged with one count of murder with a gang enhancement, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department announced at a Friday press conference.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo said Davis was the “on-ground, on-site commander” who “ordered the death” of Shakur, according to the AP.

Duane “Keefe D” Davis.Ethan Miller/Getty

A booking photo of Duane “Keefe D” Davis, photographed off of a television monitor, is shown during a news conference at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters held to brief media members on Davis' arrest and indictment for the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur on September 29, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A Nevada grand jury indicted Davis on one count of murder with a deadly weapon in the fatal drive-by shooting of rapper Tupac Shakur. (

Ethan Miller/Getty

At the press conference, authorities also said that the Shakur family is aware of the arrest and are “pleased with this news.”

Tupac Shakur.Raymond Boyd/Getty

Rapper Tupac Shakur poses for photos backstage after his performance at the Regal Theater in Chicago, Illinois in March 1994

Raymond Boyd/Getty

Despite widespread interest and speculation, the case went cold, with few public pronouncements about its status until earlier this summer, when the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reopened the investigation.

As part of the investigation,authorities executed a search warranton July 17 at a one-story beige stucco home in Henderson, Nev. — a home connected to Davis — the man who has made public statements about being in the car from which somebody fired upon Shakur.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Tupac Shakur.Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Rapper Tupac Shakur poses for a portrait at Club Amazon on July 23, 1993 in New York, New York

Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Shakur is widely considered to be one of history’s most talented and influential rappers, withRolling Stonedeclaring him one of the 100 greatest artists of all time in 2010. The late rapper was alsoinducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Famein 2017,honored with a street named after himin Oakland, California, andawarded a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Famein 2023.

It is unclear if Davis has retained an attorney to comment on his behalf.

source: people.com