Tory Lanez, a Canadian rap artist, has been sentenced to a ten-year imprisonment following his conviction for shooting fellow musician Megan Thee Stallion. The incident occurred in 2020 when Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion in the foot during a disagreement at a party.
At 31 years old, Lanez received his sentence from Judge David Herriford of the Los Angeles Superior Court. This came after he was found guilty in December of three serious charges: using a semi-automatic pistol to commit assault, having an unregistered firearm that was loaded in a vehicle, and recklessly discharging a firearm.
Lanez’s legal representatives argued in favor of probation and enrollment in a drug rehabilitation program. After the ruling, LA District Attorney George Gascón highlighted that Megan Thee Stallion’s fame “has shed crucial light on the problem of violence against women.”
The incident took place as they were leaving a pool gathering at reality TV star Kylie Jenner’s residence in Hollywood. Megan Thee Stallion underwent surgical procedures to extract bullet fragments from her foot after the shooting, an incident that created divisions within the music community.
The court revealed that Lanez had received more than 70 letters of support from relatives and friends, including musician Iggy Azalea, who requested a sentence that aimed for “transformation, not ruin.”
Following the shooting, various prominent figures in the hip-hop industry took sides in the debate over the truth of the matter.
Prosecutors had sought a 13-year prison sentence. Their argument was that Lanez deserved a lengthy jail term for shooting an unarmed victim on a quiet residential street and subsequently engaging in a campaign to degrade her in the aftermath of the incident.