By Canadian rapper Tory Lanez found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion; Faces 22 Years in Prison
Sola Omoniyi
Rapper Tory Lanez found guilty on all charges in shooting of Megan Thee Stallion
A jury in Los Angeles found Tory Lanez guilty on all three charges related to the July 2020 shooting of fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion in the Hollywood Hills
Lanez pleaded not guilty to assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, according to prosecutors.
Megan accused Lanez of shooting her in the foot after she exited a vehicle they had been riding in following an argument.
During the trial, Megan said an argument broke out in the car between her, Lanez, and her former friend and assistant, Kelsey Harris.
According to billboard, Megan said she had exited the car when Lanez shot her.
“I started walking away and I hear Tory yell, ‘Dance, bitch,” she tearfully testified. “I froze. I just felt shock. I felt hurt. I looked down at my feet and I see all of this blood.”
Megan “showed incredible courage and vulnerability” during her testimony “despite repeated and grotesque attacks,” LA County DA George Gascón said in a statement to CNN following the verdict.
“You faced unjust and despicable scrutiny that no woman should ever face and you have been an inspiration to others across LA County and the nation,” he said, in reference to Megan.
“Women, especially Black women, are afraid to report crimes like assault and sexual violence because they are too often not believed. This trial, for the second time this month, highlighted the numerous ways that our society must do better for women,” Gascón added, referring to Harvey Weinstein being found guilty of three out of seven charges on Monday.
He also thanked the jurors for “their time and thoughtful deliberation.”
Lanez did not take the stand in his defense during the nine-day trial
