Entrepreneur, Author, International Expertise

Tupac & The Las Vegas Strip

A nagging question.

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Some recent news came out of Las Vegas that made me think of an interesting story that I’d like to share.  It also made me think of a nagging question that has bothered me since 2017.

Last week, after 27 years, the Las Vegas police department made an arrest in the shooting death of Tupac Shakur.  Tupac was an American rapper, who is widely considered one of the most influential and successful rappers of all time.  A Los Angeles man has been charged with his 1996 killing. The murder occurred during a Mike Tyson fight weekend when the heavy weight champion fought at the MGM in Las Vegas.

Rap isn’t my thing, but the news did make me think of a time we were in Vegas when another Mike Tyson fight was occurring at the MGM Grand.  My wife and I were staying at the Mandalay Bay Resort when the infamous Tyson vs. Holyfield fight occurred at the MGM.  It was June 28,1997 and ‘The Bite Fight” was about to make sports history down the Las Vegas Strip from where we were. This bout was a rematch between the two fighters, with Holyfield having won their first encounter. The fight gained notoriety due to an incident in the third round when Mike Tyson bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear. Tyson was disqualified for his actions, and chaos erupted.

We were not really interested in the fight and had been out to dinner when upon returning to the resort it was obvious that the casino had an unusual buzz going through the entire building.  Something big was up, so we hurried upstairs to turn on the television for the news.  Reports were saying something about disqualification and Tyson’s actions, but it was unclear or unbelievable what had occurred.  So, I figured I’d go back down to the Sports Book in Mandalay Bay and see what was happening.  It was the only time in my many visits to Vegas that I saw a near riot.  The sports book was not going to pay off even though Holyfield had won – claiming it was a disqualification and not a victory.   Fortunately, they quickly came to their senses and reversed that decision, which prevented any further problems.

Meanwhile, later that night, down the street at the MGM, local news casts would show the police with guns drawn surrounding the MGM Grand in response to hearing shots fired.  That’s story was quickly knocked down – not once making the national news – with the claim that the officers had just heard stands being collapsed within the facility.  That story never made sense to me.   Anyone who is familiar with weapons would certainly know the difference.

Fast forward many years and we were again in Las Vegas two weekends ago for the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Las Vegas Raiders football game.   It was our first-time staying at the Mandalay Bay – which is now directly across from the new football stadium – since years before the tragic mass shooting incident that occurred on October 1, 2017.  As you may recall, a gunman named Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.  It was one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history resulting in the deaths of 58 people and injuring hundreds more, but no clear motive was ever established.

People come to Las Vegas from all over the world for world-class entertainment and gaming. But ever since the “Bite Fight” and the reports of shots fired – then no shots fired – at the MGM; I find myself questioning news reports.  How could a motive for the 2017 Mandalay Bay shooting never have been established?  Was he just a disgruntled high-roller gambler as reports claim, or something else?  Why was a final stamp not ever placed on this case? I realize this is old news but is it representative of how world events are currently reported?  How many major news events are quickly in and then out of the headlines as the public moves on to the next shiny object?  Does the media still place pressure on investigative agencies to hold them accountable.

It just seems like this story was swept under the rug, and those victims deserve better.


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