Tory Lanez Faces a Minimum of 9 Years In Prison

Tory Lanez will likely face anywhere from nine to 22 years in prison and deportation after being convicted of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in July 2020. The Canadian artist, 30, was denied a second trial this week, and was also revealed to face a lengthy sentence, per Deputy Los Angeles County District Attorney Alexander Bott.

Bott, shared in a clip by legal affairs journalist Meghann Cuniff, was seen speaking to reporters outside the courthouse on Tuesday (May 9). “The sentencing range on this case is roughly nine years all the way up to 22 years and eight months,” Bott said.

When asked if the possible sentencing was “appropriate” for the case, Bott declined to answer given his role as Deputy DA, but instead responded “as a human.”

“So I would say that, any time you point a gun at someone and pull the trigger five times, that’s an action that could easily kill a person,” he said. “I think that’s an action that deserves serious consequences.”

While a sentencing date for Lanez, legal name Daystar Peterson, has not been set, Judge David Herriford indicated on April 17 that the artist would be sentenced within 30 days of his motion for a new trial. On Tuesday (May 9), Peterson was led from the courtroom back to jail after a hearing on the motion one day prior, and pleaded with Herriford, saying “I could be your son. I could be your brother” and “Please don’t ruin my life.”

Last year, Megan Thee Stallion, legal name Megan Pete, testified that Peterson fired a handgun at her feet and demanded that she dance when she walked away from an SUV in which they’d been riding in the Hollywood Hills in July 2020. Also in the vehicle was Pete’s former friend, Kelsey Harris.

In a recent ELLE feature, Pete said she originally didn’t want information about the shooting going public, and that Daystar shared it on social media through taunts.

“I wish I could have handled this situation privately. That was my intention, but once my attacker made it public, everything changed,” Pete said.