News of March 16, 1997
"Time": Investigators Suspect Crips Behind Both Rapper Killings
A week after Biggie's death, Time magazine reported that police suspected Crips members in both cases. This was not confirmed.
On March 16, 1997, the Las Vegas Sun picked up a report from the upcoming issue of Time magazine: police in Las Vegas believed that a member of the Crips had shot Tupac. In the case of The Notorious B.I.G. as well, Los Angeles police were focusing on a group of Crips that Bad Boy had hired as bodyguards during Biggie’s visit to the West Coast. Time cited unnamed sources.
No Confirmation
Neither the Los Angeles nor the Las Vegas police commented. A week earlier, investigators in Las Vegas had stated that there was no evidence of a connection between the two murders. In late March, Los Angeles police released a composite sketch of the suspected shooter in the Biggie case and described it as a targeted attack; there was no evidence so far of a war between rival rap camps.
Which theories exist regarding Tupac’s death and what could be proven is examined in Theories Surrounding Tupac’s Death.