Canadian rapper, Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson well known as Tory Lanez has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday, after he was convicted of shooting fellow musical artist, Megan Jovon Ruth Pete well known as Megan Thee Stallion during an argument in 2020.
Lanez who injured the feet of Grammy-winning female rapper after a pool party in the Hollywood Hills in July 2020 was accused of shooting the 28-year-old,
This development comes more than seven months after the 30-year-old rapper was convicted.
During a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court that had been pushed back by delays, Judge David Herriford handed down the sentence to the 30-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, Reuters reports.
Going memory lane, on Dec. 23, a jury found Lanez guilty of carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle, assault with a semiautomatic handgun and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Before the shooting occurred, it was revealed by the American rapper, that an argument started, which became heated which led to an attack on each other’s music careers, she told the court during the two-week trial.
Megan Thee Stallion, needed surgery and spent four days in the hospital before physical therapy allowed her to walk again.
According to the New York Times, she did not attend the sentencing hearing, saying she could not bear to be in the same room as Lanez but wrote a statement that was read in court on Monday.
The statement said, “He not only shot me, he made a mockery of my trauma,”
“This is a statement for all survivors that their lives matter and there is zero tolerance for the torture that accompanies violence.”
A defense lawyer representing Lanez, Jose Baez, told reporters outside the courthouse that he thought the sentence was too harsh and that Lanez would appeal his conviction, saying he had not received a fair trial. Lanez’ lawyers had sought a sentence of probation.
“I have seen homicide case, other cases where there’s a death and the person still gets less than 10 years,” Baez said. “It’s just another example of somebody being punished for their celebrity status, someone being utilized as an example.”
Megan Thee Stallion won Grammy awards for best new artist, best rap performance and best rap song in 2021. She has also been nominated for six more.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, whose office prosecuted the case, said after December’s verdict that women, especially Black women, are afraid to report crimes such as assault and sexual violence because they are too often not believed.
“The fact that Ms. Pete is a successful entertainer has brought the spotlight on the important issue of violence against women,” he told reporters after the verdict.
Reporting by Jane Ross in Los Angeles and Jonathan Allen in New York; Writing by Brendan O’Brien; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Lisa Shumaker
