Rapper Tory Lanez was given a ten-year prison term on Tuesday for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in July 2020 and causing her injuries.
The hip-hop artist’s legal name is Megan Pete, and Lanez, 31, was found guilty of shooting and injuring her on December 23, 2022. His sentencing was originally scheduled for January, but it was repeatedly postponed as Lanez hired new lawyers and requested a new trial. In May, the plea for a fresh trial was rejected.
Beginning on Monday, the hearing continued into Tuesday. Members of the rapper’s family were among the witnesses the defence called to testify on his behalf.
The judge heard an impassioned argument from Lanez’s father, Sonstar Peterson, who described the pain his son experienced after his mother died when he was a young boy and how music served as his outlet.
Raina Chassagne, the mother of Lanez’s son, described him as “the most supportive father” and begged the judge to exercise mercy to end the trend of Black men being jailed and deprived of their children.
Another witness, Dr. Stephanie Herring, a licenced psychologist at a rehab facility, stated that she believes Lanez suffers PTSD, anxiety
In the meanwhile, Pete’s impact statement was read aloud by the prosecution on Monday. In it, Pete demanded that Lanez “be forced to face the full consequences of his heinous actions and face justice.”
“He did not only shot me, but he also made fun of my ordeal. He attempted to portray himself as a victim while attempting to kill my spirit and character. He paid bloggers to spread false information about the case on social media and lied to everyone who would listen. In order to harm my reputation and carry out his career, he released music videos and songs, according to Pete’s statement.
Today, I implore this court to send a strong message to all victims of violence by holding the offender entirely responsible for his illegal actions.
The prosecution in this case, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, submitted a request in May asking the judge to sentence the rapper to 13 years in prison. On May 23, the prosecution also submitted a motion asking for a more severe punishment for the rapper. Unless “circumstances in aggravation” were established, the motion claims that a new California legislation would automatically place the rapper’s sentence in the “middle term” of a possible 22-year sentence.
In the filing that Wilsben News was able to receive, the prosecution claimed that “circumstances of aggravation” exist in this instance, pointing to Lanez’s “callousness.”
For shooting Megan on July 12, 2020, in the Hollywood Hills and wounding both of her feet, Lanez was found guilty of three crimes.
Lanez’s appeal for a new trial was turned down by Superior Court of Los Angeles Judge David Herriford last month, leading to the sentencing.
According to charging documents acquired by ABC News, Lanez was initially charged in October 2020 with one felony count of assault with a semi-automatic handgun (personal use of a firearm) and carrying a loaded, unlicensed firearm in a vehicle. Although it is not a separate charge, “personal use of a firearm” is a sentencing enhancement that is connected to the first count and could lengthen Lanez’s sentence. Lanez was charged as well before his trial.
At the time, Lanez’s trial attorney, George Mgdesyan, told ABC News that Lanez was “disappointed” with the decision. When asked if he intends to appeal on December 23, 2022, Mgdesyan responded, “Everything is on the table.”
Intense discussions about how society treats women have been triggered by this instance. Pete’s description of the incident, as well as the harsh criticism she received from the general public after telling her tale, have brought attention to the Protect Black Women movement, which fights the dual battle of racism and sexism that Black women must contend with in both their own communities and in society at large.
Pete, who testified at the trial and identified Lanez as the gunman, spoke up about the incident afterward in an interview for her May 2023 Elle magazine cover.
She said, “I don’t want to label myself a victim. “As I think back on the last three years, I see myself as a survivor because I’ve actually managed to get through the unthinkable. In addition to surviving being shot by someone I trusted and regarded as a close friend, I also overcame the humiliation of having my name and reputation publicly tarnished by that person in front of everyone.
Source: abcnews.go.com
