LAS VEGAS — An eclectic group of people gathered at the Regional Justice Center on Monday as the murder trial of a man accused of orchestrating the slaying of rapper Tupac Shakur began with jury selection.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, is now on trial in connection with the death of Shakur, who was 25 when he was shot near the Strip in September 1996.

Prosecutors have said Davis’ public statements drove a renewed effort to investigate the case. In a memoir that he has since disputed writing, Davis described “tossing” a gun into the back seat of the Cadillac in which he was riding, allowing another man to commit the shooting.

The trial’s first day attracted people who described themselves as fans, podcasters and Shakur’s relatives. There also were journalists from local and national news organizations.

William Lesane, who said he was as a cousin of Shakur’s, told reporters he saw the trial as a culmination of “30 years of trauma, anger, depression, sadness, grief, mourning.”

“I’m open to learning new information, seeing if there was other people involved and it was a deeper, deeper conspiracy,” he said.

Davis has told reporters he was actually not in Las Vegas at the time of the shooting, despite his previous statements.

“I think his alibi is a desperate attempt to evade justice, and I don’t blame him,” Lesane said. “I would probably do the same thing if I was in his shoes, if I said I was there and then get arrested and find out: I’m 63 years old, I’m facing life in jail.”

Prosecutors have said Davis was the “shot-caller” who came up with the plan to exact revenge on the rapper and Death Row Records CEO Marion “Suge” Knight in retaliation for an attack by Shakur and his entourage against Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson, earlier that night at the MGM Grand.

Knight’s head was grazed by a bullet in the shooting.

Prosecutors floated Knight, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Gov. Joe Lombardo and Davis’ purported co-author Yusuf Jah as potential witnesses Monday.

During the first day of jury selection, multiple potential jurors told District Judge Carli Kierny about hardships or beliefs that would make it difficult to serve.

One woman said she was caring for a child with special needs. Another said she was a full-time online student. A man told the judge that his parents had been the victim of an armed robbery at the hands of two Black people, making him potentially biased against Davis based on race and gun violence.

In the afternoon, potential jurors returned to the courtroom one at a time for in-depth questioning.

Despite concerns about the publicity surrounding the case, some said they knew little about Shakur.

“I don’t even know what he looks like,” said one woman.

“I mostly listen to country,” another told the judge.

Others were more familiar.

A man told attorneys he had listened to Shakur when he was younger and was aware of speculation about who might have been involved in the rapper’s death.

“I honestly was surprised that’s what this was because it was so long ago,” he said.

But he promised that he would be able to set aside what he had heard previously and focus on the evidence.

Some spectators made long journeys to attend the trial.

Jirah Devin, who came from Florida with his wife, said Shakur was a major influence in his life, but he indicated that he was not convinced of Davis’ guilt.

“I don’t think Keffe did it,” he said. “I think he’s really a fall guy to buy some time and cause confusion.”

Asked what he thinks happened to Shakur, he said, “I believe that there’s a possibility that he could still be here, but either way, he’s here. Nobody’s dead until the last man speaks their name.”

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