Sheryl McCollum, the crime scene investigator who worked on Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder case, has suggested that Sean “Diddy” Combs could be connected to the rapper’s death and an earlier shooting in 1994. McCollum shared her thoughts during an interview with NewsNation, pointing to Combs’ presence during key moments in Shakur’s violent history.
McCollum highlighted the 1994 incident, where Shakur was shot five times during a robbery at New York’s Quad Studios.At the same time, Combs was in the building with around 40 people, all of whom remained unharmed.
“This whole thing to me started in 1994 — the first time Tupac was shot,” McCollum said. “You ain’t gotta shoot somebody five times to take their jewellery and their money.” She added that it seemed suspicious that Combs and his group were untouched during the incident, saying, “How does that make sense to anybody that one person is going to be robbed and not the other 40? Who would have had more money and jewellery? Forty.”
Shakur himself suspected foul play, openly accusing Combs, along with The Notorious B.I.G. and Bad Boy Records, of involvement in the 1994 shooting. Speaking to ‘Vibe’ magazine in 1995, he recalled the strange reaction of those present when he entered the studio, bleeding from his wounds: “Nobody approached me. I noticed that nobody would look at me.”
Two years later, in 1996, Shakur was gunned down in a drive-by shooting after leaving a boxing match in Las Vegas. McCollum pointed out the similarities between the two attacks, noting that in both instances, Shakur was “trapped” — first in an elevator, then in a car — with no way to escape. She also noted the lack of video footage at both crime scenes, hinting that someone close to Shakur may have had prior knowledge of his location, according to Page Six.
While Combs and Biggie Smalls denied involvement in Shakur’s murder, the theory has resurfaced as Shakur’s family considers filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Combs. This comes after Duane “Keefe D” Davis, who is currently charged with Shakur’s murder, suggested in a 2009 interview that Combs placed a $1 million bounty on the rapper’s life.
Combs was arrested on September 16 at a Manhattan hotel and is facing charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. If convicted, he could face a life sentence. Currently held without release on a $50 million bond, Combs has yet to receive a trial date in the federal case.
