Tupac entourage member dodges questions about accused in murder trial: “I don’t want to send you to prison”

A member of Tupac Shakur‘s entourage dodged questions about those allegedly responsible for the rapper’s death during the second day of the ongoing murder trial.

The court heard the opening statements and testimony on Monday (August 17). At the trial, former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis is charged with the murder of Shakur in September 1996. He has denied the accusations and pleaded not guilty.

Yesterday (Tuesday August 17), James “Mob James” McDonald took issue with being made to take the stand and identify those responsible for Shakur’s death.

As BBC News reports, McDonald said he was threatened with being held in contempt of court if he did not testify.

McDonald was asked repeatedly if he could identify the individuals involved in the late rapper’s death. Pointing to Davis, he reportedly responded: “You’re asking me something that wouldn’t be good for him.”

He also told the accused: “I don’t want to send you to prison.”

Davis is a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips street gang, while McDonald is an ex-member of rival gang Mob Piru – which is part of the larger Bloods alliance. McDonald also worked for Suge Knight’s Death Row Records label, whose roster included Shakur.

In court yesterday, he repeatedly faced questions from Davis’ defence attorney, Michael Sanft, about whether he saw the drive-by shooting, and if he knew who was there at the time.

Mob James was getting riled up because the defense lawyer for keefe D kept asking him if he saw the person that shot Tupac

“I don’t want to send him to prison even though we don’t like each other”

Mob James said the only reason he’s there to testify is because he would be held… pic.twitter.com/TgCZDlpeAA

— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) August 18, 2026

He reportedly raised his voice, telling Sanft that he didn’t want to answer numerous questions because it “wouldn’t be good” for the defendant. When looking over at Davis, he said: “Talk to your lawyer, man. This dude is tripping”.

McDonald also told the court: “I don’t want to send him to prison, even though we don’t like each other. I don’t want to send you to prison.” He said to Sanft: “You’re asking me questions that can hurt him.”

Despite claiming that he did not witness the shooting, McDonald said those who were there that night in Shakur’s entourage had quickly communicated who was behind the attack.

Davis is accused of planning the murder, as a result of his nephew Orlando Anderson being involved in an altercation with Shakur just hours beforehand.

McDonald explained in court: “It was a gang war. People were getting hurt. People were being sought. Orlando, him and certain other people were being sought because people wanted to kill them.”

He said people wanted revenge against those responsible for Shakur’s murder. McDonald claimed that Davis and his nephew were “the main subjects of a gang war – they were in the middle”, while acknowledging that he was part of the war too.

When addressing Davis again, McDonald said: “What you are going through, brother, is what you [are] going through. I don’t want to be a part of it.”

Reggie Wright Jr – a member of Shakur’s security who became Death Row Records’ general manager in 1997 – also gave testimony in court. In the days ahead of the trial, Davis said that the evidence instead pointed to Wright – who is also a former Compton police officer.

Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996, after a car drove alongside him and opened fire as he travelled from a Mike Tyson boxing match. He died from his injuries six days later.

In his 2019 memoir, Davis claimed that he was a passenger in the car that opened fire on the rapper. He claimed that he gave the gun used in the murder to his nephew, Anderson, who allegedly shot the rapper.

Davis’ legal team called the claims “fiction” and said that the accusations against their client come as a result of a “biased, sloppy and incomplete” police investigation over the past three decades.

The defendant has also distanced himself from the aforementioned book, claiming that sections were fictionalised to sell more copies.