Tory Lanez is found guilty. Image Source: Pitchfork
Tory Lanez is found guilty in Megan Thee Stallion shooting case.
Tory Lanez, real name Daystar Peterson, the Canadian rapper accused of fatally shooting Megan Thee Stallion, real name Megan Pete, in Hollywood Hills in July 2020, was convicted after a nine-day trial at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles.
Tory Lanez was convicted of all three counts: attack with a semiautomatic firearm, holding a loaded, unlicensed gun in a vehicle, and criminally irresponsible release of a firearm. According to the Associated Press, Tory Lanez did not exhibit any physical reaction once the verdict was announced, and he's going to be sentenced on January 27th and might face up to 22 years and eight months in prison as well as deportation because he is Canadian.
Megan Thee Stallion's lawyer, Alex Spiro, stated after the verdict was announced that the jury made the right decision and that they are appreciative Megan received justice. Megan alleged Tory Lanez of trying to shoot her in the foot in August 2020, following a pool party at Kylie Jenner's residence in July 2020. Tory Lanez was taken into custody in October 2020 and pled not guilty to all charges.
Megan testified emotionally on the second day of the trial, saying she was having difficulties opening up. She stated she is having a difficult time sitting here sharing her story while sitting just in front of Tory and individuals who have made false claims about her. She went on to say that she has attempted to be strong and not show weakness because she does not wish to give them the authority that they've taken from her over the past three years. Megan Pete was then asked to recall the happenings of the purported shooting, and she stated that she saw Tory Lanez pointing the gun at her and that, while she ended up feeling betrayed by her then-friend Kelsey Harris (who was present at the time), she was self - assured that it was Tory Lanez who shot her. Tory Lanez, according to Megan Pete, said to her, 'Dance bitch,' and then she did turn towards him and saw him shoot.
Megan went on to say that Tory was telling her that she wasn't shit, and she told him that he, too, wasn't shit and that this was where he is in his career and with his music. According to Rolling Stone, Megan admitted that she felt she pressed him the wrong way since he kept shouting and swearing. Tory Lanez allegedly did promise each woman $1 million if they did not report the situation to the police, asserting he was on supervised release for a prior weapons offense, according to Megan. She continued while tearing up that she wished he would have just killed her if she knew that she would have to go through all of this.
When asked why she didn't report the shooting at first, Megan stated that she wanted to safeguard everyone engaged, especially in light of the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. She stated that the accident happened at the peak of police abuse and that she was afraid that if she said this man just fired her, they would start shooting and ask questions later. She also stated that cooperating with policemen is not tolerable in the black community.
Tory Lanez could face upto twenty years of jail time. Image Source: The New York Times
According to ABC7, during closing statements on Wednesday, a prosecuting attorney persuaded the jury to convict Tory Lanez responsible for shooting Megan Pete over nothing other than a fragile ego. Meanwhile, the defense argued that he did not fire the gun and that Kelsey Harris pulled the trigger. Even though Kelsey Harris wasn't charged in the case, she gave testimony and stated that she didn't shoot the "WAP" rapper. Tory Lanez's attorney argued that the two women were arguing over the male rapper that night, insinuating that Kelsey Harris was driven to shoot her friend out of jealousy after learning that Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion had been close behind her back.
Following the verdict, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón praised the rapper, née Megan Pete. He said that he would like to begin by praising Megan Pete's bravery adding that she has faced unfair and deplorable scrutiny that no woman should ever face. He went ahead to say that women, particularly black women, are hesitant to report crimes such as attacks and sexual abuse because they are often simply ignored. George continued in his statement that for the second time this month, this trial highlighted the myriad ways in which society can do better for women and he would also like to commend the jurors for their time and thoughtful consideration, as well as the trial team for there, haven't ever pursuit of the truth.
He appreciated them by stating that they have spent numerous hours away from their family members over the holidays trying to prepare this case and bring Megan Pete justice and they appreciate the service.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
