By Andrew Dalton -
The Associated Press
A Los Angeles jury found rapper Tory Lanez guilty of three felony counts Friday in the 2020 shooting of hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion. The musician could be sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for the attack, which it left the artist with bullet fragments embedded in her feet.
Lanez, who was handcuffed and led to jail in a powdery pink coat that matched his pants, showed no visible reaction as he listened to the verdict.
Canadian rapper Tory Lanez, left, was found guilty of three counts of shooting hip-hop star Megan Thee StallionAP
The jury, made up of seven women and five men, took about a day to reach a decision and convict the 30-year-old Canadian rapper, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, of assault with a semi-automatic firearm, possession of a firearm loaded and unregistered in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Jurors also agreed that there were aggravating factors in the attack, meaning Lanez could face up to 22 years in prison and later be deported.
On January 25, the judge will announce his sentence.
conflicting versions
The events occurred in the summer of 2020 in Los Angeles.
Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, claimed during the trial that the rapper shot him with a pistol in the back of her feet and yelled at her to dance from her as she drove away from her in an SUV. SUV.
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The 27-year-old singer testified that the two were fighting, but that the fight took on another dimension when she insulted his music.
It was then that the incident took place.
Lanez's defense pointed out, instead, that it was the then best friend of the hip-hop star, Kelsey Harris, who fired the shots after a fight between the two out of jealousy towards the rapper.
According to lawyer George Mgdesyan, the musician tried to stop the shooting, but Pete made up a story to blame him.
Megan Pete is a liar.
She lied about everything in this case from the beginning, ”Mgdesyan argued.
"She lied under oath here," he maintained.
Harris denied being the shooter and identified Lanez as the person who had the gun in hand when Megan Thee Stallion was shot.
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After the verdict, the singer's lawyer, Alex Spiro said that "the jury was right" in their decision and said he was "grateful that justice was done for Meg."
Lanez's lawyer said everyone was "shocked by the verdict."
"There was insufficient evidence to convict Mr. Peterson," it said in a statement.
“We believe that this case was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
We will explore all options, including appeal, ”he advanced.
"Unfair and despicable scrutiny"
The shooting unleashed a storm of racial arguments that reached fever pitch during the trial, including the reluctance of black victims to speak to police, the protection of black women, gender politics in hip-hop, and toxicity in Internet.
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In closing arguments, prosecutors emphasized Megan's courage in speaking out and the hostility Megan faced as a result, concluding that she had no incentive to speak anything other than the truth.
“You demonstrated incredible courage and vulnerability with your testimony, despite repeated and grotesque attacks that you did not deserve,” prosecutor George Gascón praised in a statement.
“You faced unfair and despicable scrutiny that no woman should ever face,” he stated.
Lanez started his career in 2009 and in a short time he became one of the most important rappers on the music scene.
His last two albums reached the top 10 on the Billboard charts.
Megan Thee Stallion, on her side, was already a huge rising star when the shooting occurred.
She won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 2021, and has collaborated with divas like Beyoncé and Cardi B.
The trial, which lasted eight days, mobilized supporters of both artists, who gathered from the vicinity of the court to the corridors and the courtroom.
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The reading of the verdict inflamed the spirits of the bench that supported Lanez.
His father, Sonstar Peterson, jumped up and yelled, “This evil system is on trial before Almighty God!”
He also had words for the prosecutors: “You are wicked!
You know exactly what you have done!”
The man was dragged out of the room with great difficulty by members of law enforcement, but continued to yell from the hallway.
In the front row sat three small children, including Lanez's son and a girl who began to cry when she heard the jury's decision.
She was comforted by the rapper's stepmother, who also couldn't help but get emotional and ended up screaming like her husband.