Wednesday, Sept. 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
Tupac Shakur is gone, but the slain rap artist certainly is not forgotten -- by his fans or the media.
"We're still getting calls," said Dale Pugh, spokesman at University Medical Center, where Shakur died Friday, six days after he was shot on East Flamingo Road.
During the time Shakur was being treated at UMC for multiple gunshot wounds, the hospital was besieged by fans and the media.
"We normally received between 2,000 and 3,000 calls each day," Pugh said. "Some days last week the hospital received up to 10,000 calls. Most were from fans asking about his condition."
The hospital is still receiving calls from Shakur's fans. Some call to express their condolences. Others ask about funeral arrangements.
Meanwhile, the hospital has been besieged by reporters from major newspapers, national magazines and television networks.
"I think the main interest has been from the West Coast and the East Coast," said Pugh, who has fielded questions from reporters from the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, New York Daily News, "Inside Edition," "Extra" and Black Entertainment Television.
Clark County Coroner Ron Flud also has received many inquiries about Shakur.
"We did get a lot of calls and many were from the national media," said Flud, who added that there wasn't much to report. "Tupac came in and out of our office Friday night."
Metro Police also have been deluged.
"Today, I've received calls from the New York Post, Rolling Stone and the Eagle Tribune," homicide Sgt. Kevin Manning said Monday.
Manning said he received a call from a man who asked about the status of the investigation into Shakur's murder.
"I asked the identity of the caller," Manning said. "And he told me, 'I'm a fan from Buffalo.'"
Newspapers have been receiving tips about Shakur's murder in recent days.
Some callers say they were in the black 1996 BMW 750 sedan with Shakur and Death Row Records chief Marion "Suge" Knight when the drive-by shooting occurred just after the Sept. 7 heavyweight match between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon.
"They (the crank calls) go in the round file," said Manning, who explained that only Shakur and Knight were in the BMW when shots were fired from a white Cadillac that pulled up to the BMW's passenger side.
Ironically, while most everyone who is not directly involved with Shakur or a witness to his murder wants to talk about the shooting, no one with any firsthand information has cooperated with police or the local media.
"It's a murder, and the people closest to the scene should be able to help us, but they say they didn't see anything," Manning said. "So far, they haven't enlightened us as to a suspect or a motive, and that's the bottom line."
The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that two 21-year-old men who were shot in Compton, Calif., last week may have been killed in retaliation for the attack on Shakur.
Citing an anonymous police source, the Times reported that Shakur had been shot as the result of a Compton gang grudge.
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