A judge in Los Angeles on Tuesday sentenced Canadian musician Tory Lanez to 10 years in prison for the shooting death of rapper Megan Thee Stallion during an argument in 2020, ending a case that has rocked the music world, filled the gossip pages and generated deeper discussion about violence against Black women.
“Not only did he shoot me, he made a mockery of my trauma,” Megan Thee Stallion, the chart-topping artist born Megan Pete, wrote in a statement read in court on Monday, as supporters in both sides made their final pleas to the judge.
Added Megan Thee Stallion, who did not attend the sentencing because she said she could not be with Mr. Lanez, “This is a statement for all survivors that their lives matter and there is no tolerance for the torture that comes with it. violence.”
Prosecutors had sought a 13-year sentence for Mr. Lanez, born Daystar Peterson, arguing that he had no remorse and was “clearly incapable of accepting any responsibility for his own actions.”
Mr. Lanez was convicted in December of three felony counts – assault with a semiautomatic firearm; carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle; and discharging a firearm with gross negligence — and the judge considered two aggravating factors in the case, including that the victim was particularly vulnerable. Mr. Lanez faces a maximum of 22 years and eight months in prison. On Tuesday, he was credited with 305 days served.
Lawyers for Mr. Lanez, 31, argued for probation only, raising several mitigating factors through legal filings and court testimony, including abuse the musician suffered as a child. and his relationship with alcohol. The “alcohol-use disorder of Mr. Lanez, although not equal to the defense, mitigated his culpability,” his team said in a sentencing memo.
In court Monday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Herriford read summaries of 76 letters of support he received from allies and colleagues of Mr. Lanez, including family members and rapper Iggy Azalea. (Following some backlash, Ms. Azalea said in an online post that was later deleted that she did not know her comments would be made public, and that she believed in “reasonable punishments” and “prison reform.”)
The court also heard testimony, which continued until Tuesday, about Mr. Lanez’s character, philanthropy and commitment to his son. A lawyer called Mr. Lanez called the shooting “a bad night in a lifetime of good deeds.”
The prosecution, on the other hand, framed the attack as “an act of misogyny” against Megan Thee Stallion. “This case is a violent shooting of a bruised ego,” said Alexander Bott, a deputy district attorney.
Public details of the July 2020 attack gradually emerged through law enforcement accounts and social media posts, resulting in internet drama and finger-pointing before the case entered a courtroom. .
Mr. Lanez was initially arrested and charged with weapons possession after an encounter while he, Megan Thee Stallion and a friend were being driven home from a pool party at reality star Kylie Jenner’s residence.
Megan Thee Stallion, who told responding officers she injured her feet by stepping on glass, later said she became alert after the police killing of George Floyd and worried about how “snitching” Mr. will affect him. Lanez career as a rapper.
But following initial coverage of the case by hip-hop and celebrity blogs, as well as social media posts by Mr. Lanez, Megan Thee Stallion, 28, said she was shot in both legs, requiring surgery, and named the rapper as her. assailants on Instagram.
In court later, following more than a year of exchanging barbs with Mr. Lanez in songs and on social media, Megan Thee Stallion testified that he shot her several times after she got out of the car during an argument about their brief romantic encounter and their respective careers.
“Mr. Lanez attempted to position himself as a victim and set out to destroy my character and my soul,” Megan Thee Stallion wrote in her victim’s statement before sentencing. “He lied to anyone who would listen and paid bloggers to spread misinformation about the case on social media. He released music videos and songs to destroy my character and continue his crusade.”
Megan Thee Stallion said that Mr. Lanez privately apologized for the shooting, offering him and his friend that night, Kelsey Harris, a million dollars each to keep quiet.
During the trial, the defense brought up the theory that Ms. Harris shot Megan Thee Stallion because of jealousy, and Ms. refused. Harris to identify Mr. Lanez as the gunman in the stand. But jurors also heard about earlier text messages from the aftermath of the shooting and an interview with detectives in which Ms. Harris is the story of Megan Thee Stallion. The jury voted to convict Mr. Lanez following seven hours of deliberation.
Sentencing was originally set for January but was rescheduled several times as Mr. Lanez hired new lawyers and sought a new trial. The musician’s legal team argued that some evidence presented during the trial, including Instagram posts, was prejudicial, but the judge denied that request in May.
Following that hearing, Mr. Lanez told the judge: “Please don’t ruin my life. I can be your son, I can be your brother.”
Lauren Herstik contributed reporting from Los Angeles.
