Today (Aug. 8), Tory Lanez was handed a sentence of 10 years in prison for the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion back in July 2020. In December 2022, the Canadian artist was found guilty of assault with a semiautomatic handgun, having a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and gross negligence in discharging his firearm, all of which were felony charges. He was denied a new trial this past May.
On Monday (Aug. 7), it was reported that presiding Judge David Herriford received 76 letters of support for Lanez, which included a handwritten letter from the rapper’s 6-year-old son and Raina Cassagne, the mother of his child. Hip hop peer Iggy Azalea shared a message asking for the sentence to be “transformative, not life-destroying.” Other submissions of support were from government officials, members of law enforcement, a jail chaplain, and Lanez’s father, Sonstar Peterson, who delivered an emotional address to the court in person.
While she didn’t appear at the sentencing, a statement from Megan Thee Stallion was said to have been read by Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta. “Since I was viciously shot by the defendant, I have not experienced a single day of peace,” it reportedly said. “Slowly but surely, I’m healing and coming back, but I will never be the same.”
Back in June, Lanez — whose real name is Daystar Peterson — broke his silence since being behind bars while promoting new music for his fans. “I want y’all to know that I haven’t lost my faith in God and that I’m in high spirits. I’m praying for the best and remain confident that God will bring me through this.” he said in an Instagram post. “I have spent the last seven months rehabilitating my mind, body, and my soul. Through I came to jail a good person, I will leave as a great person.”