A Los Angeles jury convicted rapper and singer Tory Lanez on three charges connected to a 2020 shooting that injured hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion.
The jury, comprised of seven women and five men, deliberated for one day before returning the guilty verdict against Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, on all three charges, The Associated Press reported.
Megan Thee Stallion took the witness stand during the trial, testifying that Lanez shot her in the foot after she got out of a vehicle following an argument, CNN reported.
Lanez’s father, Sonstar Peterson, leaped up after the jury left the courtroom and shouted, “This wicked system stands judged before God Almighty,” the AP reported. He pointed to the case’s two prosecutors and yelled, “You two are evil, wicked people. You know exactly what you did.” Peterson was removed from the courtroom and continued shouting in the hallway.
Megan took the witness stand during the trial and gave emotional testimony recounting the public response after the shooting. “I wish he had just shot and killed me if I would have known I was going to go through this torture,” Billboard reported her saying in court.
“You faced unjust and despicable scrutiny that no woman should ever face, and you have been an inspiration to others across LA County and the nation,” LA County District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement to CNN after the verdict. Gascon described Megan as showing “incredible courage and vulnerability” in her testimony.
“The jury got it right,” Megan’s attorney, Alex Spiro, told the AP. “I am thankful there is justice for Meg.”
Lanez’s attorneys did not respond to a request for comment from the AP.
Lanez faces a maximum sentence of 22 years and possible deportation to his native Canada, CNN reported.
Megan Thee Stallion won the Grammy for best new artist in 2021, and is best known for her song “Savage” as well as an appearance on Cardi B’s “WAP,” according to the AP.
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