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Tory Lanez Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison After Guilty Verdict in Megan Thee Stallion Shooting
Rapper Tory Lanez won’t be making music for a very long time, as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison on Tuesday, August 8, in connection with shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the feet in July 2020. He faced 23 years behind bars while prosecutors asked for a 13-year sentence as his father and fellow rapper Iggy Azalea had pleaded for mercy for the “In for It” artist.
A jury found Lanez, 31, — whose real name is Daystar Peterson — guilty on December 23, 2022, of three felonies: assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
His father, Sonstar Peterson, told Judge David Herriford on Monday, August 7, that music became his son’s only solace after losing his mother in 2021. “I don’t think anybody ever gets over that. But his music became his outlet,” he told the court on Monday, August 7. Peterson also apologized for causing an outburst when his son was convicted, calling the process a “wicked system.” Azalea asked that her friend receive a sentence that was “transformative, not life-destroying.”
Megan, 28, — real name Megan Pete — had a victim impact statement read to the court via Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta. “Since I was viciously shot by the defendant, I have not experienced a single day of peace. Slowly but surely, I’m healing and coming back, but I will never be the same,” she wrote.
Pete said she struggled with the decision of whether to give the statement in person but ultimately decided she “simply could not bring myself to be in a room with Tory again.” She urged Judge Herriford to impose a stiff sentence and not view her absence as a sign of indifference.
Lanez has been behind bars since his guilty verdict. His lawyers asked in a sentencing memo that he not receive any prison time, requesting he be given probation and be released from jail, where he will then enter a residential substance abuse program. An appeal against his conviction is already planned.
Pete testified during his trial that after leaving a party at Kylie Jenner‘s house on July 12, 2020, with Lanez, her friend Kelsey Harris and bodyguard, she admitted to Harris that she had an intimate relationship with Lanez. The two women got into an argument, as Harris allegedly had a “crush” on the “Say It” rapper. It escalated to Megan and Lanez denigrating each other’s careers. The Houston native said she got out of the SUV and Lanez began shooting at her feet, yelling “Dance bitch!”
She was rushed to the hospital by police who responded to the scene, where she underwent surgery to remove bullet fragments from her limbs.
During Pete’s testimony at Lanez’s trial, she revealed how deeply the shooting affected her mental health. “I feel disgusted, I feel dirty, my own partner is embarrassed. I wish [Lanez] had just killed me, if I knew I would have to go through this torture,” the “Savage” singer explained.
Harris testified on Lanez’s behalf claiming he didn’t shoot Pete, but the prosecution countered with an audio recording where she was heard saying, “He was shooting the gun.” Harris also texted Megan’s manager, writing “Help. Tory shot meg. 911.”
Megan first spoke about the incident to fans in a July 15, 2020, Instagram post. “I suffered gunshot wounds, as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me,” she wrote, adding, “I’m incredibly grateful to be alive and that I’m expected to make a full recovery.”
In a September Instagram Live, the “Body” artist fully accused Lanez, saying, “Yes … Tory shot me. You shot me and you got your publicist and your people going to these blogs lying,” adding, “I didn’t tell the police nothing because I didn’t want us to get in no more trouble.” The following month, Lanez was arrested and charged with assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He entered a not guilty plea in November 2020.
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