Tupac Shakur Memorial

Graffiti on the utility pole pays homage to the late Tupac Shakur. Dark Nebula Deluxe (Atlas Obscura User)

One of the most notable yet shocking events in music in the 1990s was the murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur. On September 7, 1996, Shakur and rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight were leaving a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon at the MGM Grand when, in the lobby of the casino, they got into a physical confrontation with Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson.

Following that confrontation, Knight and Shakur were driving east on Flamingo Road stopped at the intersection with Koval Lane when, according to investigators, a vehicle containing four people (allegedly including Anderson) pulled up alongside the vehicle and shot at Knight and Shakur as revenge for the events earlier that evening.

While Suge Knight survived his injuries, Tupac Shakur died six days later at the age of 25. However, as is the case with many popular musicians who die young, his reputation only continued to grow after his passing. However, Shakur’s murder would infamously go unsolved for decades, with Duane “Keffe D” Davis finally being arrested in September 2023 for potential involvement in the shooting and other details about the murder being revealed afterward.

In lieu of any official memorial at the site where Tupac Shakur was murdered, fans have over time flocked to the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane and have left messages on a utility pole near where the shooting took place (as well as additional messages on a second utility pole and a nearby utility box).

The bottom six feet of the pole are now completely coated in graffiti from visitors who wanted to show their appreciation for the rap star, and some well-wishers have even left offerings at the base of the utility pole. In spite of being just off the famous Las Vegas Strip, however, this site still remains an obscure location that relatively few tourists ever encounter, and even many of the people who do find this place by accident may not immediately know about the momentous events in 90s music history that took place here.

Know Before You Go

The utility pole that functions as the unofficial Tupac Shakur memorial is located on the south side of Flamingo Road just west of the intersection with Koval Lane and can be visited at all times of day. In spite of being the site of a famous murder off the Las Vegas Strip, the site is actually quite safe in terms of crime, although the heavy traffic at this intersection means that pedestrians need to be careful when crossing the street. The site is about a 10-minute walk from the Strip, but people driving through the area may want to park at one of the gas stations or shops near the intersection and then cross to where the memorial is located.