Canadian rapper Tory Lanez sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion

A Los Angeles court issued a 10-year prison sentence against Canadian rapper Tory Lanez on Tuesday for firing shots at fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion's feet during a 2020 altercation.

Tory Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson and is 31 years old, was convicted in December on charges of assault with a semiautomatic weapon, carrying an unlicensed firearm, and negligence.

His ongoing feud with Megan Thee Stallion, the three-time Grammy winner who collaborated with Beyoncé, has been making headlines in the United States.

This case has taken on symbolic dimensions related to the treatment of women in the hip-hop music industry. The incident dates back to July 2020 when a dispute arose between the former couple following an evening spent at Kylie Jenner's residence.

The two stars were driving back from the event with Megan Thee Stallion's personal assistant, who also found herself caught up in Tory Lanez's situation, sparking a fight between them.

During the trial, the acclaimed rapper, known for her hit song "Savage," revealed that her ex-boyfriend had offered her "a million dollars" in exchange for her silence.

Prosecutors attributed the altercation to Lanez's wounded ego, as he felt "emasculated" because Megan Thee Stallion was more successful than him, according to the district attorney.

On the other hand, Lanez's defense team criticized the trial as unfair. George Galdesyan, Lanez's lawyer, stated that this case was nothing more than an issue of "jealousy," asserting that Megan Thee Stallion's assistant was the one who fired the shots at the rapper.

The case was marked by Megan Thee Stallion's caution towards the police, coming just months after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, which were due to police violence against Black Americans.

Following the incident, the police stopped the two stars' vehicle. Initially, Megan Thee Stallion claimed that she was injured in her feet due to flying glass fragments.

She stated in court, "We were in the midst of the police violence at the time," and "I did not feel safe in the car. I also did not feel safe with the police officers."

In a statement received by the judge on Monday, the singer confirmed that she has not felt "peace of mind" since the incident.

She added that Lanez "not only shot me, but he laughed at my pain."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP