Tory Lanez Found Guilty of Shooting Megan Thee Stallion
Tory Lanez is facing more than 20 years in prison. The rapper, who is from Canada, could also be deported.
A Los Angeles jury on Friday found rapper Tory Lanez (real name Daystar Peterson) guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in both of her feet after an argument.
Peterson was convicted on all three charges he was facing: assault with a semiautomatic handgun, carrying an unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm. He is set to be sentenced next month. Peterson is facing more than 20 years in prison. The rapper, who is from Canada, could also be deported.
The verdict came just a day after closing arguments were made. According to Law and Crime reporter Meghann Cuniff, after the verdict was read Peterson's father and stepmother had an outburst, with the father screaming “This is a wicked system!”
While brief, the trial has been eventful, with bloggers and personalities affecting public reaction to the details, in ways that were seen as beneficial for Peterson.
On the night of July 12, 2020, Pete, Peterson, Meg's ex-friend Kelsey Harris and Tory’s bodyguard were leaving Kyle Jenner's house. Around 4:30 a.m., the Los Angeles Police Department received reports of gunshots from outside a home in the Hills. Police arrived on the scene and arrested Peterson on a felony count of carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle, while Peter was bleeding from her feet.
The trial started out with Megan Thee Stallion, real name Megan Pete, testifying that Peterson shot her, she also spoke about some of the mental and physical anguish she has faced over the last couple of years. During the testimony she said:
“I couldn’t walk for a while... I still have nerve damage. I can’t really feel the side of my left foot. The back of my feet are always sore, but I just push through it.”
A central figure in the case was Harris. During her testimony, Harris contradicted most of what she told detectives during an interview back in September. The testimony was so frustrating for the prosecutors they asked and were then allowed to play the entire taped 80-minute interview.
From there, other unusual circumstances took place: Meg's bodyguard at the time, Justin Edison, was supposed to testify in the trial. But he never showed up. The family eventually "surrendered" Edison while the jury was in the middle of deliberation. Prosecutors also tried to bring up two witness tampering charges against Peterson, which was rebuffed. And Peterson, at the last moment, decided he wasn't going to testify.
Throughout the trial, Peterson has maintained his innocence, claiming that there was another shooter. During the trial, Peterson's lawyers insinuated that Harris shot Pete over jealousy. (Peterson had an intimate relationship with both women.) While Pete has maintained Peterson was the one who shot her two feet, testifying that he heard him yell "dance bitch."
After sentencing was announced Peterson was taken into custody. His sentencing date is January 27th, 2023.