For more than two decades, the world has spent time concocting theories about how Tupac Shakur was gunned down at age 25 on the Las Vegas Strip and Orlando Anderson has clearly been named as a person of interest in the murder investigation. Despite the denials and speculations, the hip-hop charismatic icon’s death continues to highlight the dangers of thug life to date. While there have been tons of conspiracy theories surrounding the legendary rapper’s demise, time has gradually unearthed the truth of the events surrounding the September 7, 1996, murder incident. Here’s all you should know about the prime suspect.

Who Is Orlando Anderson?

Famously known as Baby Lane, Orlando Tive Anderson was born on August 13, 1974, to Charlotte Davis and Harvey Lee Anderson. Despite his parents’ split, Anderson had a secure childhood as he was mostly raised by his extended family members, including his grandparents. He was raised in one of L.A’s most run-down neighborhoods and got involved in local gangs in his early teens. Orlando, who was described as a friendly cool guy by friends and classmates first attended Taft High School and later switched to Dominguez High School in Compton for his senior year.

It was while at Dominguez that he started dating a student nurse named Rasheena Smith. The duo lived together in a Lakewood apartment and had two girls Krystal and Courtney. The young Orlando Anderson later became an unemployed father of three children when he had a girl, Ariel with another lady named Taiece Lanier. Anderson was better known as a member of the South Side Crips. But unlike the typical neighborhood gang banger, he wasn’t much of a drinker, didn’t smoke, and was never convicted of any crime.

Orlando had a close relationship with his half-brother Pooh and together, the duo later started a record label called Success Records. Sadly, Orlando Anderson’s life was cut short on May 29, 1998. Despite the wide belief that he is Tupac’s killer, Anderson’s family insists on his innocence. His brother Pooh who describes Orlando as a quiet guy that never caused a problem and always involved in positive things still believes to date that there is a mix up somewhere.

The Untold Truth of the Prime Suspect in the Murder of Tupac Shakur

The events leading up to Tupac Shakur’s death have been recounted from various perspectives for years. While 2Pac’s murder might seem like an unnecessary story to tell due to the nature of the incident, it is pertinent that fans are reminded of the truth of what happened to the hip-hop icon on September 7, 1996.

Pac’s death has been linked to an incident that occurred a few weeks earlier. It goes without saying that the rap star may have sealed his fate and played a part in his demise from gangbanging days prior. Amongst the many theories surrounding Tupac’s death, the most popular is that he was killed by gang banger Orlando Anderson.

Orlando ‘Baby Lane’ Anderson, who is a Southside Compton Crips member, allegedly robbed a medallion from a Death Row member –  some of whom were associated with rival LA gang The Bloods. Days later, on September 7, 1996, while walking through a Las Vegas casino lobby, Tupac, Marion “Suge” Knight and his gang of Bloods attacked Anderson in a fistfight. Unbeknownst to the legendary rapper, that one punch to a Crip’s face had sealed his fate.

It was the incident that prompted Baby Lane to rally three fellow Crips to go on a vendetta against the rapper. A few hours later, Tupac was gunned down at 11.15 pm in a drive-by shooting on the Las Vegas strip. While Death Row Records kingpin Marion “Suge” Knight was driving a BMW with the rapper in the front passenger seat, their car was littered with bullets from the back seat of a rented white Cadillac. Tupac died six days later in the hospital after being hit four times in the chest, arm and thigh. He was aged 25.

Suge was initially speculated to have been involved in Pac’s murder but no link has ever been proven. The unknown assailant was later identified as Orlando Anderson, although the gang banger denied the claims until his death. Years later, in 2009, Baby Lane’s uncle, Duane “Keefe D” Davis, who used to live next door to the alleged murderer confessed to being in the car while Anderson pulled the trigger. In his bombshell confession, Duane said he was in the front passenger seat of the Cadillac next to driver Terrence “T-Brown” Brown while Anderson and DeAndre “Dre” Smith sat behind.

It’s been over two decades after 2Pac’s murder and no arrests have been made in connection to his killing. Though Orlando Anderson is widely believed to be his killer, Pac’s brutal murder remains a mystery because cops “never wanted to solve it”. Investigators claim Orlando was already dead by the time they had factual proof of his involvement in the rapper’s death. Hence, ‘the man who shot Tupac’ was free and never charged for the murder.

How Did ‘Baby Lane’ Die?

It didn’t particularly come as a surprise to many when Orlando Anderson was killed about 18 months after Tupac’s death in an unrelated shooting. On May 29, 1998, Orlando Anderson was shot dead in a Compton car wash over what police said was a drug debt. He was killed in a gang-related gun battle that left two other men dead. Baby Lane’s killer is serving three life terms.