Three Suspects, No Witnesses: Afeni Shakur Attacks Las Vegas Police

Five months after the shooting, Las Vegas police had narrowed the circle of suspects to three men from Los Angeles. Sergeant Kevin Manning named one by name on February 3, 1997: Orlando Anderson, the man from the brawl at the MGM Grand. He was considered a suspect, though police had no direct evidence. “We have suspects and bullets, but no gun and no witnesses.”

Accusations from Both Sides

Police complained about witnesses remaining silent, including Suge Knight and more than a dozen companions. Afeni Shakur countered: even while her son was in an induced coma, police had stated on television that he was not cooperating. She said it had been clear to her from day one that nobody in Las Vegas was genuinely interested in solving the case. Several witnesses told the Los Angeles Times that they were never asked for follow-up interviews; on the night of the crime, police had initially treated them like suspects at gunpoint.

On the ABC program “Prime Time Live”, Afeni Shakur repeated her criticism on February 5. Her full account is featured in the magazine: Afeni Shakur’s reckoning with the Las Vegas police.