Sep 10, 1997406 words · 2 min
Orlando Anderson Sues Tupac's Estate and Suge Knight
To investigators the killer, in court the victim: how Orlando Anderson sued Tupac's estate and Suge Knight a year after the shooting.
Original: “Tupac, Suge Sued In Assault Case” · MTV News · no byline · September 10, 1997
Almost exactly a year after the Las Vegas shooting, MTV reported a bizarre twist. Orlando Anderson, whom Compton police believed to be Tupac’s killer, was suing Tupac and jailed Death Row boss Suge Knight.
Beaten on Camera
Anderson cited the surveillance video from the MGM Grand. The footage shows him being beaten in the hotel lobby on the evening of September 7, 1996, a few hours before the fatal gunfire. The amount of damages was to be determined by a court.
The report closed with the familiar line from Las Vegas police: they believed they knew who killed Tupac, but doubted they would ever get enough witnesses to bring charges.
An Alleged Gang Member Goes to Court
The lawsuit was filed on Monday, September 8, 1997, in Los Angeles Superior Court against Tupac’s estate, Knight, and Death Row. Anderson sought damages for physical injuries and emotional distress. His attorney, Renee L. Campbell, denied any connection to the shooting: if there was a victim here, it was her client.
The Los Angeles Times pointed out how unusual the move was: an alleged gang member was taking a gang dispute to civil court, putting himself back in the spotlight in the process.
Afeni Shakur’s Countersuit, Nine Years in Prison for Knight
The response came four days later: Afeni Shakur sued Anderson for wrongful death. For Suge Knight, the lobby incident had already proved costly. In February 1997, a judge had sentenced him to nine years in prison for violating his probation.
Death at the Car Wash, Late Verdict Against Keffe D
Anderson himself was never charged. He died on May 29, 1998, in a shootout at a Compton car wash that had nothing to do with Tupac. The civil dispute outlived him: after his death, his family sued the estate over an allegedly promised payment of $78,000. In the summer of 2000, both sides settled without disclosing details.
The question of who was responsible has legally advanced today. Anderson’s uncle, Duane “Keffe D” Davis, was indicted in 2023 and found guilty of murder in Las Vegas on August 31, 2026. The prosecution saw him as the mastermind who passed the weapon to the back seat of the car. The verdict is not final (as of October 2026).