The rapper faces up to 22 years in prison if convicted.
The trial against Tory Lanez began Tuesday (Dec. 14) with an illuminating preliminary hearing on the events of the night he allegedly shot Megan Thee Stallion.
According to a report by Rolling Stone, the prosecution laid out its case that the “Lady of Namek” rapper — whose legal name is Daystar Peterson — fired a semiautomatic gun at the fellow hip-hop star’s feet in the early morning of July 12, 2020, with one detective testifying that Lanez shouted “Dance b—h!” before he fired.
“[Megan] observed Mr. Peterson holding a firearm and then she observed him start to shoot,” said Detective Ryan Stogner of the LAPD, who interviewed the “WAP” rapper immediately following the shooting. “Megan immediately felt pain to her feet, observed blood, fell to the ground, and then crawled to an adjacent driveway of a residence…She described her injuries as bleeding profusely.”
While on the stand, Stogner went on to testify that Lanez “apologized” to Megan in the aftermath of the shooting and “offered her money and begged her to please not say anything and made a reference to the fact he was already on probation.”
During cross-examination, Lanez’s defense attorney tried to cast doubt on Megan’s version of events and Stogner’s interview tactics. “You never asked Megan how much she had to drink that day, did you?” Lolley asked, leading Stogner to answer, “Not specifically, no.”
“But you are aware alcohol can impair a person’s perception and their ability to recall?” the lawyer then followed up.
The “Thot S–t” rapper — and newly minted college graduate — refrained from publicly naming Lanez as the shooter for several months following the shooting, until finally revealing his identity on social media in October 2020.
Since then, Lanez has created even more trouble for himself, violating the court order to stay away from Megan by attending Rolling Loud Miami in July and attempting to rush the stage during her set. He was also brought on stage by DaBaby wearing a disguise while the latter’s collaboration with Megan, “Cry Baby,” was playing and she was still on the festival premises. The incident led to Lanez’s bail being increased from $190,000 to $250,000.
Lanez faces up to 22 years in prison if convicted.