Tory Lanez sentenced for shooting Megan Thee Stallion.

Aisha Sembhi

Canadian rapper, Tory Lanez, has been sentenced for shooting and wounding Megan Thee Stallion, AP reports. 

Lanez, real name Daystar Peterson, has been in prison since December 2022, after he was convicted of three gun-related felonies following the shooting: assault with a semi-automatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. 

The 31-year-old rapper now faces ten years in prison. The prosecution initially sought a 13-year sentence, whilst the defence asked for probation. 

Freelance court journalist Meghaan Cuniff reports that Lanez spoke for several minutes after the sentencing was handed down, describing the victim as a friend and someone “[he] still cares dearly [for] to this day”.

“I will never be the same.”

Three-time Grammy Award-winning rapper and victim of the shooting Megan Thee Stallion was present for the sentencing. In an impact statement read to the court, the 28-year-old said she had “not experienced a single day of peace” since the attack.

She continued: “Slowly but surely, I’m healing and coming back. But I will never be the same.”

What happened?

The shooting occurred in the early hours of 12 July 2020, following a party hosted by American socialite Kylie Jenner in Los Angeles, California.

Megan testified that she was shot by Lanez after she mocked his musical talents. The then-28-year-old Lanez was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and released on bail later that morning. 

The same day, Megan underwent surgery after doctors found bullet fragments in her foot. Initially, she reported to police that she had injured her foot by stepping on glass.

She released a statement detailing the shooting three days later, but did not name Lanez. Five days after this, on 20 August 2020, she accused Lanez of the shooting on Instagram.

Artist Reaction to Tory Lanez charges

With both Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion being highly successful rap artists, the case has sparked a cultural divide within the broader world of hip-hop.

Multiple songs have referenced the incident, including several by Lanez himself.

He first referenced the incident in his album Daystar, released on 25 September 2020. During the song ‘Money Over Fallout’, he suggests Megan is trying to frame him. “Girl, you had the nerve to write that statement on that affidavit / knowing I ain’t do it but I’m coming at my truest,” Lanez raps.

“He not only shot me, he made a mockery of my trauma.”

Other well-known musicians have made their stance on the dispute clear by engaging in social media memes surrounding the shooting. Rapper 50 Cent initially mocked Megan online and has since apologised.

Australian rapper Iggy Azalea has received widespread criticism for her continued support of Lanez after his guilty verdict. CNN reports that she wrote a letter to the sentencing judge in support of the guilty party.

Megan has been subject to cyber abuse from both artists and fan communities since the charges emerged, and accused of fabricating the events altogether. In April 2023, Megan said that the online ridicule was negatively affecting her mental health: “He not only shot me, he made a mockery of my trauma. He tried to position himself as a victim and set out to destroy my character and my soul.”

Megan referenced the shooting in the 2020 song ‘Shots Fired’, with lyrics exploring truth and the pursuit of justice: “Imagine… lying about shooting just to save face.”

Los Angeles Reaction to Tory Lanez Sentencing

Lanez’s sentencing has been viewed as a victory against misogynoir and cyber abuse.

Megan was praised by Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon for ‘inspiring’ other women. He said she had remained strong “despite the physical violence, verbal attacks and attempts at public humiliation.

“The fact that [she] is a successful entertainer has brought an important spotlight on the issue of violence against women.”

Similarly, the Director of Victim Services Tanishia Wright extended her “sincere condolences” to Megan “for the pain and trauma that she had to experience over the last few years.

“Women of colour more times than not do not come forward to report victimisation due to fear they will not be believed.”

Lanez’s legal team plan to appeal the ten-year prison sentence. It is unclear if he will face deportation to Canada.

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Featured image courtesy of on Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

Aisha is a BBC Journalism Researcher, covering news, politics, and pop culture (and, wherever possible, the blend between the three!).

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