By Madi Whittemore
LOS ANGELES, CA – Canadian rapper Daystar Peterson (also known as Tory Lanez), was found guilty of shooting American rapper Megan Pete (also known as Megan Thee Stallion) in 2020 and was sentenced to 10 years in state prison on Tuesday by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Herriford.
According to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, on July 12, 2020, Lanez and the victim were leaving a celebrity party in Hollywood Hills and left in the same SUV.
The two got into an argument and when exiting the vehicle, Lanez allegedly shot at the victim five times and eventually hit and wounded the victim’s foot.
Lanez entered a plea of not guilty but after seven hours of deliberation, jurors found Lanez guilty on three counts—guilty of assault by firearm that caused bodily injury, guilty of illegal possession of a firearm, and guilty of negligent discharge of an unregistered, loaded firearm.
Deputy District Attorney Alex Bott described the violent act as “an act of misogyny towards Megan” with Deputy District Attorney George Gascón agreeing, adding Lanez has been allegedly trying to silence the victim ever since the violent incident occurred.
“Over the past three years, [the accused] has engaged in a pattern of conduct that was intended to intimidate Ms. Pete and silence her truths from being heard,” DDA Gascón explained after announcing Lanez’s 10-year jail sentence.
The victim also testified Lanez offered her and a close friend $1 million each to not discuss the shooting to officials or the media.
Because of Megan Thee Stallion’s popularity and presence in the media and music industry, her openness about being a victim in this violent case has served as an example for illustrating how much violence occurs against women and the fear that black women face when reporting incidents to law enforcement, said the DA.
“Women, especially Black women, are afraid to report crimes like assault because they are too often not believed. I commend Megan Pete for her incredible bravery and vulnerability as she underwent months of probing investigation and court appearances where she had to relive her trauma, and the public scrutiny that followed,” DDA Gascón asserted.
The victim was transparent in her fears of reporting the incident to the police, further noting that she had safety concerns about being in close proximity with the police as a black woman and expressed even more fear about discussing the incident with them, added the DA.
The victim even noted, according to a LA DA statement, that she had originally lied to the police and doctors about why her foot was bleeding because she feared the incident would become worse if the police discovered that a black man was in possession of a gun.
“This case highlighted the numerous ways that our society must do better for women,” DDA Gascón added, pointing to various issues that were prominent in the case such as the attempted silencing of the victim and the victim’s notable uncomfort with the police.
Even though justice has been served with Lanez now facing 10 years in state prison, Lanez may also face the possibility of deportation from the United States because of his Canadian citizenship, said the DA’s Office.
