Canadian rapper Tory Lanez was found guilty in a Los Angeles court on Friday of shooting singer Megan Thee Stallion in the feet during an argument in 2020 after a drunken Hollywood night out.
• Read also: Megan Thee Stallion testifies at the trial of rapper Tory Lanez, accused of shooting him
• Read also: Rapper Tory Lanez will be tried for shooting Megan Thee Stallion
During the trial between the two ex-lovers, the American singer told how the rapper opened fire on her, throwing her: “Dance, bitch”.
Tory Lanez, Daystar Peterson of his real name, was notably found guilty of assault with a semi-automatic weapon and carrying an undeclared weapon.
The 30-year-old rapper, who pleaded not guilty and did not testify at the trial, was imprisoned immediately after the verdict and faces more than 20 years in prison, according to several American media. His sentence is due on January 27.
In the United States, this case has served as a symbol of the treatment of women in hip-hop. It dates back to July 2020 and finds its origins in an argument between the two ex-lovers after an evening with Kylie Jenner.
The two stars were returning from the evening by car, accompanied by the personal assistant of Megan Thee Stallion, who had also fallen under the spell of the Canadian rapper. A quarrel then broke out.
In front of the jury, rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who collaborated with Beyoncé and won three Grammy Awards in 2021, described her horror when her ex-lover shot her in the feet.
” I am shocked. I am scared. I hear the shots going off and I can’t believe he’s shooting at me, ”explained the artist, Megan Pete of his real name.
To cover up the incident, Tory Lanez offered him “a million dollars” to shut up, said the interpreter, notably known for his title “Savage”.
Story of “ego”
According to prosecutor Kathy Ta, the confrontation took place because of the “bruised ego” of Tory Lanez. The Canadian was irritated “because Megan was more successful than him,” she said in her indictment.
“He had an oversized ego and could not bear to be disrespected,” insisted the magistrate.
For its part, the defense of Tory Lanez castigated an investigation according to it sloppy. The rapper’s lawyer, George Mgdesyan, reduced this case to “a case of jealousy”. According to him, it was Megan Thee Stallion’s personal assistant who shot the singer herself.
According to the investigation, this assistant sent a text message a few minutes after the incident, where she asked for help and wrote: “Tory shot Meg”.
Shortly after the incident, the car of the two stars was stopped by the police. Transported to the hospital, the singer initially claimed to have injured her feet with pieces of glass.
In court, Meghan Thee Stallion blamed her reaction on distrust of the police, just months after the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, two African Americans killed by law enforcement.
“At the time, we were at the peak of police violence,” she recalled. “I don’t feel safe in the car. I don’t feel safe around the police either. »
After the verdict, Los Angeles prosecutor George Gascon hailed Megan Thee Stallion’s “incredible courage” in a statement.
“Women, especially black women, are afraid to report crimes like assault or sexual violence because too often they are not believed,” he said. “This trial…has highlighted many things that need to be done better for our society. »
