Nearly 30 years after rapper Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas, new shocking claims have emerged about his final days. Marion “Suge” Knight, the former Death Row Records CEO who was with Tupac when he was shot, has made explosive revelations about what happened at the hospital before the rapper’s death. Knight, who is currently serving 28 years in prison for a fatal hit-and-run, spoke from California’s Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility. He remains the only living witness to the Sept. 7, 1996, shooting that killed the 25-year-old rapper. Knight claims that Tupac allegedly begged to be killed while lying in his hospital bed, fearing he would be sent back to prison. “He didn’t have to die. A part of me died when he died,” Knight said about Tupac, whom he called his favorite person in the world. The former music executive alleges that Tupac’s fear of returning to prison was so intense that he made desperate requests to end his life. What allegedly happened at the hospital after the shooting After the shooting at the corner of Flamingo and Koval in Las Vegas, Knight drove the bullet-riddled BMW at high speed before being stopped by police. Both men were rushed to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, where Knight was treated for minor injuries and released. Tupac was listed in critical condition with four bullet wounds to his chest, arm, and thigh. Knight claims that when he visited Tupac at the hospital, the rapper was initially in good spirits, allegedly joking and asking for marijuana and alcohol. However, as Tupac’s condition worsened and he started fearing the possibility of going back to prison for a casino beating that occurred hours before the shooting, his mood allegedly changed dramatically. Tupac Shakur Dead September 13, 1996 25 years ago R.I.P. pic.twitter.com/xiwKLyxEsX— HIPHOPINPICTURES® (@allinhiphop) September 13, 2021 According to Knight, Tupac became desperate and allegedly asked to be killed, even suggesting they could record it on camera or that he could make a will explaining everything. Knight says he refused these alleged requests. The former Death Row CEO claims Tupac then turned to his mother, Afeni Shakur, with the same plea. Knight alleges that Afeni gave her son pills in an attempt to honor his wishes. He claims doctors brought Tupac back, but that Afeni allegedly told medical staff not to revive him again if complications arose. “Don’t ever do that again. If he’s having complications, don’t touch him. Don’t bring him back. Let him go,” she allegedly said, as per Knight. Tupac was placed in a medically induced coma and died on Sept. 13, 1996, at 4:03 p.m. Knight alleges that immediately after her son’s death, Afeni insisted on cremation despite Tupac wanting a traditional funeral. Knight claims he paid someone a million dollars to handle the cremation, and that some of Tupac’s closest friends later allegedly smoked his ashes. Madonna, Sting, Tupac Shakur, and Madonna's galpal Ingrid hanging out together in 1994. pic.twitter.com/h6oPpcgmQv— Classic Rock In Pics (@crockpics) July 1, 2025 The shooting occurred after a Mike Tyson boxing match at the MGM Grand, where Tupac and Knight’s crew had beaten up Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, an alleged member of the South Side Compton Crips. Prosecutors say Anderson and other gang members later followed Knight and Tupac in a white Cadillac and opened fire. In September 2023, Duane ‘Keefe D’ Davis was arrested and charged with orchestrating the hit. Davis, a former Crips leader, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. His trial is scheduled for February 2026. Court filings from 2024 revealed that Davis allegedly told police in 2009 that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs had ordered the killing and offered $1 million to ‘handle the problem’ – allegations that have resurfaced amid his current legal troubles.” Combs has always denied any involvement in the shooting. Las Vegas police have stated that Combs “has never been considered a suspect” in the case. Knight continues to maintain his accusation that Combs was involved in Tupac’s death. “I believe that if something smells like s***, look like s***, it’s s***,” Knight said. He claims the rivalry between Death Row Records and Combs’ Bad Boy Records had escalated to dangerous levels by 1996. These new allegations add another layer to one of hip-hop’s most infamous unsolved cases. While Davis awaits trial and Combs faces unrelated federal charges, Knight’s claims remain unproven allegations. The truth about what really happened in Tupac’s final days may never be fully known, but Knight’s account provides a disturbing glimpse into the chaos that surrounded the rapper’s death.