Shutterstock / Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives
Tupac Shakur died in a drive-by shooting on September 7, 1996 at a Las Vegas intersection at the tender age of 25. The shooting was reported to be gang-related, sparked by a physical altercation involving Tupac, Knight, and Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, a Crip gang affiliate from Compton. We think. We’re almost positive.
Over the past 20 years, there has been no shortage of conspiracy theories challenging the death of the cultural icon. Some believe that Tupac must be alive considering seven albums have been released since his death, more than when he was alive. Others point to hidden messages in his music, and believe he is in exile and living in Cuba. A few believe he was abducted by aliens. Last year, a retired police officer on his death bed claims he was paid $1.5 million to fake Tupac’s death.
The theories of Tupac still living have recently been giving new life, as a selfie included in a YouTube video shot in 2011 allegedly shows Tupac (or a man who looks very similar) has gone viral.
The selfie’s on the left, Tupac on the right.
Getty Composite
After the selfie was viewed more than 1.5 million times and speculation grew ramped, a now-retired LAPD police officer who allegedly witnessed Tupac’s last breath, weighed in to stomp out the rumors.
Chris Carroll, who was allegedly the first officer on the scene, told Daily Mail,
‘I then cushioned him down to the floor. Tupac was grimacing in pain, looking panicked and gasping for breathe.
‘His torso was shot up pretty bad with blood pouring from his chest out through his shirt onto his gold chains. The blood loss was vast and it curdled around the chains, clinging to them.
‘As he was fading, Suge kept shouting and screaming “Pac, Pac”, and then in the corner of my eye I could see him come closer.
‘I warned him to stay back.
‘Instantly I realized that the victim was Tupac, gasping for air and then gurgling, most likely from the blood filling his throat and lungs.
‘At that moment my gut instinct told me that he was in serious trouble. I thought about first aid, but his situation was beyond me saving him – the multiple gun wounds, blood loss and his rolling eyes meant only trauma specialists could save him.
‘Tupac was losing his fight, but he kept looking at Suge, who was growing more frantic and screaming at him.
‘At this stage I felt that he was unlikely to survive, so I attempted to take a dying declaration from him.
‘I asked him “Who shot you? Who did this? What happened?” repeatedly.
‘Tupac didn’t even acknowledge that I was talking to him, as he was staring at Suge over my shoulder.
”Then he finally moved his line of sight from Suge, glared at me, mustered the energy to take as deep as breath as possible and said, ‘Fuck you.’
Hey Chris. Yo Chris.
One word.
Boomroasted.
[h/t Daily Mail]