The Canadian rapper Tory Lanez was sentenced in Los Angeles to 10 years in prison Tuesday for the 2020 shooting of fellow hip-hop artist Megan Thee Stallion.
Lanez, 31, was convicted in December of three felonies — assault with a semiautomatic handgun, carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. He faced deportation and more than 20 years in prison, with the prosecution recommending 13.
Lanez, whose real name is Daystart Peterson, was found guilty in December by a Los Angeles County jury of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in both her feet following an argument in the summer of 2020.
Sentencing by Superior Court Judge David Herriford, originally set for January, was delayed several times after Lanez hired new lawyers, who then sought a new trial. That request was denied by the judge in May. Then on Monday, lawyers for both sides argued various points with the judge about the sentencing. Seven witnesses impact statements were also given, including from Megan, which was read in court by Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta.
“Since I was viciously shot by the defendant, I have not experienced a single day of peace,” the statement from Megan said. “Slowly but surely, I’m healing and coming back, but I will never be the same.”
The case was closely watched for both its celebrity participants and what it did or didn’t say in relation to how Black women (famous or otherwise) and famous men accused of abuse, such as Johnny Depp and Harvey Weinstein, are treated in the eyes of the law and in the public sphere.
Lanez’s defense had raised the possibility of another shooter, a friend of the victim who was also involved in the argument. The incident occurred on the way home from a gathering at the home of Kylie Jenner.
Megan Thee Stallion, 28, identified Lanez as her assailant in court, recounting how he had shouted “dance” and a sexist slur at her before firing several times from the passenger seat of a sport utility vehicle. She testified that Lanez had then apologized and offered her and the friend, Kesley Harris, $1 million each to keep the incident quiet.
Lanez’s defense team argued that the two women were fighting that night over the male rapper, implying that Harris might have been motivated to shoot her friend out of jealousy.
Scott Mendelson contributed to this report.
