Tory Lanez has been found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion, the New York Times reports.
The jury found him guilty on all three counts: assault with a semiautomatic handgun, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. Lanez, who was born in Canada, may face deportation and up to 23 years in prison.
During their opening statements, prosecutors alleged Lanez shot Megan in the foot while shouting, “Dance, bitch, dance!” in the midst of an argument after a pool party they attended in the Hollywood Hills during the early morning hours of July 12th, 2020. Lanez was initially charged with one count of assault with a firearm and another gun possession charge in October 2020. Just before the trial began on December 12th, prosecutors added a third count of discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Meanwhile, Lanez’s defense team put Megan’s sexual history on trial while pointing the finger at Megan’s former friend and assistant Kelsey Harris, who was present at the incident. According to his lead attorney George Mgdesyan, Megan wanted to leave the party after seeing Lanez and Kylie Jenner hanging out together. During their car ride back to pick up Megan’s belongings, she started an argument with Lanez, who in turn revealed Megan had a sexual relationship with him behind Harris’ back after Harris had been with Lanez first.
According to the defense, Megan had been with fellow rapper DaBaby and NBA player Ben Simmons after Harris dated both men. The defense posited a theory that Harris may have shot Megan after the two allegedly got involved in a physical altercation witnessed by a man named Sean Kelly.
Mgdesyan also questioned why Megan initially told police officers her foot wound was caused by broken glass found in Lanez’s car. The rapper later explained multiple times that the recent George Floyd incident was fresh in her mind and she wanted to protect everyone in the vehicle.
