Hip-hop artist Megan Thee Stallion was shot in 2020, leaving her with injuries, including gunshot fragments in her feet. A Los Angeles jury on Friday found Tory Lanez guilty of three crimes in connection with the incident.
After one day of deliberation, the jury found the 30-year-old Canadian rapper, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, guilty of assault with a semiautomatic weapon, possession of a loaded, unregistered firearm in a motor vehicle, and careless use of a firearm. The charges carry a maximum 22-year prison sentence.
According to a report in The Guardian, Lanez who was handcuffed while in the courtroom, showed no visible reaction as the verdict was read. Soon after the jury left the courtroom, Lanez's father Sonstar Peterson began shouting, "This wicked system stands judged before God almighty!" He then pointed out at two prosecutors in the case and yelled, "You two are evil, wicked people. You know exactly what you did."
Pop star Megan Thee Stallion testifies during the trial that Lanez fired a handgun at the back of her feet. Megan further claimed that she needed surgery as she walked away from car they were in.
In his closing remarks, Lanez's attorney claimed that Mehan's friend Kelsey Harris was the one who fired the rounds during a jealous quarrel over Lanez, who tried to stop shooting. The lawyer, named George Mgdesyan, created a more sympathetic narrative by pinning the shooting on Lanez.