A judge sentenced rapper Tory Lanez to 10 years in prison Tuesday for shooting and wounding hip hop superstar Megan Thee Stallion.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford sentenced Lenz, 31, who was convicted in December of three felony counts: assault with a semi-automatic firearm; Possession of a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and grossly negligent discharge of a firearm.
The decision brought an end to a dramatic trial that caused an uproar in the hip hop community due to the reluctance of black victims to talk to the police, gender roles in hip hop, internet toxicity, the safety of black women, and violence by black women. Several issues came to the fore again, including the specific type of misogyny that was experienced. ,
Herriford said it was “difficult” to reconcile Lenz, who was described by many as the man who pointed the gun at Megan at the sentencing hearing, as a kind, benevolent and good father.
“Sometimes good people do bad things,” said Herriford. “Actions have consequences, and in this case there is no winner.”
Megan testified that in July 2020, after leaving a pool party at Kylie Jenner’s home in the Hollywood Hills, Lanez fired a gun at her in the back of her legs and danced while walking away from the van they were traveling in. Yelled at him for doing so. Megan had to undergo surgery to remove the bullet fragments.
In a statement read by the prosecutor on Monday, Megan said, “I have not felt a single day of peace since the defendant mercilessly shot me.” “Slowly but surely, I am recovering and coming back, but I will never be the same.”
Lenz asked Hereford for clemency just before the judge was going to sentence him. Lenz requested probation or a minimum prison sentence.
Lenz added, “If I could go back and change the sequence of events that night, I would.” “The victim was my friend. The victim is someone I still care about today.”
He added, “I did everything wrong that night, I take full responsibility for it.”
As the sentence was read, Lenz looked surprised, but had no audible reaction. His family and fans were also silent in the courtroom after the sentencing.
The rapper was counted on 10 months in custody since pleading guilty in December.
“I hope Ms. Peet’s bravery gives hope to those who feel powerless,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said of Megan, whose legal name is Megan Peet, at a news conference following the arraignment. Said. Decision.
During Monday’s session, Lanez’s father, Sonstar Peterson, held back tears as he recounted how the rapper’s mother died when he was 11, just days after he first displayed symptoms of the rare blood disorder. Due to which he died.
“I don’t think anybody will ever get over this,” he said of his youngest son, whose real name is Daystar Peterson. “But his music became his outlet.”
Lanez began releasing mixtapes in 2009 and has seen a steady rise in popularity, releasing albums on major labels. His last two releases have reached the top 10 on the Billboard charts.
Megan Thee Stallion is now 28 years old. He was already a huge rising star at the time of shooting and his fame has continued ever since. She won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 2021 and soared to the top of the charts with “Savage,” which featured a guest appearance on Beyoncé and Cardi B’s “WAP.”
Lenz’s father, who is a Christian minister, was one of several people who made statements about his son’s character and charitable donations, as well as the mother of Lenz’s youngest son, who served as a father figure. About his qualities spoke in court. Dozens of others, including rapper Iggy Azalea, wrote letters to Hereford, asking the judge to impose a sentence that was “transformative, not life-destroying.”
Herriford said Lenz’s son, who is about 6 years old, also sent a handwritten letter, but the judge did not elaborate further.
Lenz’s family and supporters filled the courtroom; During the trial, he argued that Megan and powerful music figures wrongfully prosecuted him. After the verdict was read in December, Lenz’s father condemned the “evil system” that led to his son’s conviction; On Monday, Sonstar Peterson apologized to Hereford for the outburst.
A chaplain at the Los Angeles County Jail said in court Monday that Lenz has led daily prayer groups that eased tensions in the unit where he is held.
Herriford declined an offer from Lenz’s defense attorneys for a new trial on 9 May. Such motions are common soon after conviction and are rarely successful. Lenz’s attorneys argued that there was not enough evidence to convict him and that some of the evidence presented to the jury should not have been allowed.
The attorneys argued that Megan’s testimony that Lenz urged her not to go to the police because he was on probation and would get into serious trouble was false and was an improper admission of prior wrongdoing. And he said the DNA evidence prosecutors used to argue that Lenz was the likely shooter did not meet the necessary standards.
Lenz’s attorneys said in a sentencing memorandum that he should be sentenced only to probation and released from prison to enter a residential substance abuse treatment program. They plan to appeal against the sentence.
Herriford concluded Monday that Megan was a particularly vulnerable victim when she was shot, but that Lenz was not particularly cruel or insensitive in shooting her.
“He has sustained permanent physical injuries,” Assistant District Attorney Alexander Bott said in court. “And he will certainly have emotional wounds for the rest of his life.”