Convicted felon Tory Lanez has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of shooting rapper Megan Thee Stallion in 2020.
The sentence was delivered Tuesday after a hearing began Monday.
“Everything I did that night, I take full responsibility,” Lanez said. “I truly am just trying to be a better person.”
The Canadian rapper appeared shocked but remained quiet as the sentence was announced. His son’s mother burst into tears as she was escorted out of the courtroom.
Lanez’s legal team said they plan to file an appeal for both the sentence and conviction. They also plan to file for bail.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford said it was “difficult to reconcile” Lanez for firing a gun five times at Megan.
“Sometimes good people do bad things,” Judge Herriford said. “Actions have consequences, and there are no winners in this case.”
The sentencing was originally expected to be made on Monday but was since changed to Tuesday at 1:30 PM EST.
In December, the Canadian rapper became a convicted felon after a Los Angles jury found him guilty of three counts of assault with a semiautomatic handgun, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. The verdict came on the heels of a closely watched trial between him and Megan, who he shot in both of her feet following an argument in the summer of 2020.
He faces more than 20 years in prison.
Jurors deliberated over the verdict for two days in the trial that lasted almost 14 days. The And This Is Just The Intro star had been free on bail following being placed on house arrest. He has remained in custody until his sentencing.
“God will judge you,” Tory Lanez’s father shouted to the judge and jurors after the verdict was read. The 30-year-old rapper, born Daystar Peterson, appeared emotionless and looked ahead as he was taken into custody. Megan Thee Stallion was not present while the verdict was read.
Background
On July 12, 2020, prosecutors say both Megan The Stallion and Tory Lanez were headed to a club after visiting a pool party at Kylie Jenner’s house.
It was then that the Savage rapper, born Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, said that the Say It rapper disrespected her. She demanded to be let out of the vehicle before he shot at her five times.
Detectives found a trail of blood at the scene of the shooting and a gun that was still “warm to the touch.”
Minutes after the shooting, Megan’s friend, Kelsey Nicole Harris, received a text from Megan stating: “Help… Tory shot Meg,” according to testimony. Shortly after, Lanez “profusely apologized for his actions” and said he was “just too drunk,” Megan’s attorney told jurors.
Prosecutors further claim that Lanez told Megan to “dance” while he shot at her.
Meanwhile, Lanez’s attorney claims that the case is “about jealousy” and said he would prove that Megan’s accusations were not true. The defense team said that Megan initially told doctors her injured feet had been cut on broken glass.
Reports indicate that Megan didn’t immediately reveal that she was shot because she did not want Lanez to get in trouble. But healthcare professionals soon found several bullet fragments in her feet and some still remain, she says.
“Tory shot me. You shot me and you got your publicist and your people… lying… Stop lying,” Megan said on an Instagram Live shortly after the alleged shooting.
Lanez denied all charges at the time the case was set to go to trial.
