Canadian rapper Tory Lanez was found guilty in a Los Angeles court on Friday of shooting singer and rapper Megan Thee Stallion in the foot. The facts occurred during a quarrel in 2020 between the two former lovers, after a Hollywood evening.
During the trial between the two ex-lovers, the American singer told in particular how the rapper opened fire on her, throwing at her: “Dance, bitch”. Tory Lanez, Daystar Peterson by 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 jailed immediately after the verdict and faces more than 20 years in prison, according to various US media outlets. His sentencing is scheduled for January 27.
In the United States, this story served as a symbol of the treatment of women in the hip-hop world. It dates back to July 2020 and finds its origins in a quarrel between the two artists after an evening with Kylie Jenner.
“A million dollars” to shut up
The two stars were returning from the evening in the car, accompanied by a friend of Megan Thee Stallion. Then a fight broke out.
In front of the judging panel, rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who has collaborated with Beyoncé and won three Grammy Awards in 2021, described her horror when her ex-lover shot her in the foot. “I’m in shock. I’m scared. I hear shots and I can’t believe she’s shooting me,” said the artist, real name Megan Pete.
To hush up the incident, Tory Lanez offered her “one million dollars” to shut up, she said. Shortly after the accident, the car was stopped by the police. Transported to the hospital, the singer initially claimed to have injured her feet with pieces of glass.
Feeling insecure with the police
In court, Meghan Thee Stallion attributed her reaction to distrust of the police, just months after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, two African Americans killed by law enforcement.
“We were at the height of police violence at the time,” he recalled. “I don’t feel safe in a car. I don’t feel safe with the police either.”
“In the black community, it’s really not acceptable to cooperate with the police,” he added to explain his distrust. During the trial, Tory Lanez’s defense ensured that the singer was lying and that it was a “case of jealousy”.
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