Canadian rapper Tory Lanez has failed in his attempt to overturn his conviction for shooting fellow musician Megan Thee Stallion, with a California appeals court upholding the verdict this week.
The Court's Decision
A three-judge panel from the California 2nd District Court of Appeal issued its ruling on Wednesday, affirming Lanez's conviction in full. The court did not release a public opinion detailing its reasoning behind the decision.
The ruling means that Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, will continue to serve his 10-year sentence at the California Men's Colony prison near San Luis Obispo.
Details of the Shooting Incident
The conviction stems from a violent incident in July 2020, which occurred after the artists left a party at Kylie Jenner's home in the Hollywood Hills.
Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, testified during the trial that Lanez fired a gun at the back of her feet and shouted for her to dance. The attack left her with serious injuries requiring surgery to remove bullet fragments from both feet.
Significantly, Megan did not publicly identify Lanez as the shooter until several months after the incident occurred.
Legal Proceedings and Aftermath
In December 2022, a jury found Tory Lanez guilty on three felony counts: assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
His legal team can still petition the California Supreme Court to hear a further appeal, though such requests are rarely granted. Attorneys for Lanez did not immediately respond to requests for comment following Wednesday's ruling.
The 32-year-old rapper's incarceration has been marked by violence. He was previously moved to his current facility after being stabbed by a fellow inmate at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. A message posted on his Instagram account claimed he was stabbed 14 times and suffered collapsed lungs in the attack.
Lanez, who began his music career releasing mixtapes in 2009, had seen a steady rise in popularity with two of his major label albums reaching the top 10 on Billboard's charts prior to his conviction.
