The Gun Used To Kill Tupac Was 'Destroyed Years Ago'

The murder of Tupac Shakur has been a mystery ever since the legendary rapper was shot dead in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in September 1996.

But now conspiracy theorists will be getting their backs up as the gun that police thought was responsible for the murder was reportedly located and destroyed by the government.

The .40 caliber Glock was believed lost for years by cops after it underwent testing in 2006. It turns out that it was destroyed by federal law enforcement - according to TMZ.

A Glock pistol, similar to the one used to kill Tupac. Credit: PA

The gun - which was first found in Compton, Los Angeles in 1998 - was subject to ballistic testing by ATF agents in 2006. The ATF is a federal body in the US similar to the FBI, specialising in alcohol, tobacco, firearm and explosive-related crimes.

While the Glock was found to be a possible match to the weapon fired in Tupac's shooting, it was also flagged up as a possible link to another unrelated case in Las Vegas.

The ATF spokesperson Ginger Colburn is said to have told TMZ that the ATF sent the weapon to Vegas as a result of that positive match.

According to 'multiple law enforcement sources' cited by TMZ, Las Vegas police conducted its own ballistic testing on the gun - only for them to decide that it wasn't a match for Pac's case after all. What a bummer.

However, Vegas cops did decide that it matched the unrelated shooting, so there was some good in it being sent over.

Once Vegas police had no need for the handgun, they sent it back to the ATF in 2006 where it lay untouched in storage until 2013.

Colbrun explained that the gun was destroyed, along with a stockpile of other unneeded guns, when the ATF reviewed its inventory as part of its standard procedure.

Apparently, the ATF checked with Vegas police first before destroying the gun, and only destroyed it once cops had signed the decision off.

Credit: PA

So if TMZ's story is to be believed, the gun that shot Tupac is definitely gone, despite the case still being unsolved. You can imagine some rap fans will be unhappy with that.

Whether you think it's all a bit fishy or just underwhelming, it looks like the mystery of Tupac's death will go on for a while yet.

At least we've got his quality music to remember him by.

Topics: rap, Entertainment, Celebrity, Music, Tupac Shakur, Murder

Chris Ogden

Chris Ogden is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from the University of East Anglia with degrees in English Literature and Creative Writing before completing his NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. Chris has previously written for the independent culture magazine The Skinny, among other publications.

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