Canadian rapper and musician Tory Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the shooting of fellow artist Megan Thee Stallion in 2020.
The sentencing comes after Lanez was found guilty in December 2022 of three felonies connected to the incident, which resulted in Megan Thee Stallion sustaining a foot injury.
Prosecutors had initially called for a 13-year prison sentence for the 30-year-old artist.
However, Lanez's defense team argued for probation and a residential drug treatment program.
They claimed that Lanez developed alcoholism as a means to cope with childhood trauma and believed that a treatment program would be more beneficial than incarceration.
Since his conviction in December, Lanez has been held in county jail awaiting his sentence.
On Monday, Megan Thee Stallion testified in court about the devastating impact the shooting had on her.
In a written statement read in court, she expressed, “Since I was viciously shot by the defendant, I have not experienced a single day of peace.”
She also mentioned that while she is slowly healing, she will never be the same.
Following the verdict, Lanez's attorney, Jose Baez, reiterated the rapper's innocence and highlighted the negative consequences his imprisonment would have on the non-profit organizations and individuals he supports financially.
Baez had advocated for Lanez to undergo a year-long residential treatment program to address his alcohol addiction.
During the court proceedings, Lanez's father, Sonstar Peterson, emotionally addressed the death of Lanez's mother when he was 11 years old.
Peterson stated that overcoming such a loss is a lifelong struggle and that music became Lanez's outlet for coping with the pain.
The news of Lanez's sentence quickly spread across Twitter, with the phrase “10 year” trending within minutes of the announcement.
The case has been a highly divisive and widely discussed topic on social media, in Lanez's music, and on hip-hop blogs throughout the years.
While there is a segment of online commentators who believe that Lanez was unfairly treated by the justice system, they have shown their support for him using the hashtag #FreeToryLanez.
On Tuesday, Lanez spoke in court for the first time, expressing his care for Megan Thee Stallion and revealing that they bonded over the shared experience of losing their mothers.
He admitted to making immature statements and divulging secrets that he shouldn't have during his statement in court.
Following the sentencing, Lanez's attorney, Jose Baez, expressed extreme disappointment with the outcome.
Baez compared the sentence to cases involving vehicular homicide where defendants received fewer than 10 years.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón commended Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, for her courage in seeing the trial through despite facing intense scrutiny and vitriol.
Gascón stated that Lanez had engaged in a pattern of conduct intended to intimidate and silence Megan Pete's truths, highlighting the fear faced by women, especially Black women, when reporting crimes like assault due to a lack of belief.
The shooting incident occurred in July 2020 as the artists, accompanied by a friend and Lanez's bodyguard, were leaving a party at Kylie Jenner's Hollywood residence.
