Rapper Tory Lanez Ordered To Stand Trial In Shooting Of Megan Thee Stallion
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Rapper Tory Lanez will stand trial in the shooting of fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion, a judge ruled Tuesday.
The Canadian-born rapper, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, 29, is scheduled to return to court for arraignment on Jan. 13, 2022. A bid to dismiss the case "for insufficiency of the evidence" was rejected by Superior Court Judge Keith H. Borjon.
Megan Thee Stallion, whose given name is Megan Pete, was shot in the foot on July 12 after apparently arguing while riding in an SUV in the Hollywood Hills, according to the LA County District Attorney's Office. As she got out of vehicle, Peterson allegedly shot at her feet several times.
Los Angeles Police Department Detective Ryan Stogner testified that Pete said she heard Peterson say "Dance, bitch" before he fired at her feet. She told the detective she fell to the ground and crawled to a nearby driveway with her feet "bleeding profusely.
Peterson "emphatically apologized for what he did" afterward, begging her not to say anything and "offered her money," the detective testified.
The SUV Peterson was in was subsequently stopped by police officers responding to the report of a shooting. But Pete initially told police she had not been shot and broken glass caused the injuries to her feet because she was "extremely scared and embarrassed" and "scared he was going to get in trouble," Stogner said. She was also concerned police might shoot him, Stogner said, but appeared "sincere," "visibly distraught," and was crying when she admitted Peterson had shot her.
Some of the bullet fragments were removed from Pete's feet by an orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but some still remain inside her and she reported that she has ongoing physical therapy and difficulty walking in some types of shoes, according to the detective.
Peterson was arrested a few hours later. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In a social media post disclosing the shooting, Pete said she and Peterson were not in a relationship. It's not clear why they argued, but Peterson was ordered to stay away from Pete.
If convicted as charged, he faces a maximum sentence of 22 years and eight months in state prison.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)