Rapper Tory Lanez has initiated a high-stakes $100 million federal lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, following a brutal stabbing incident that left him with life-threatening injuries. The legal action, filed on Tuesday, targets the department along with the warden and guards at the Tehachapi prison where the attack occurred.
Details of the Violent Assault
The lawsuit outlines that Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was stabbed 16 times in an "unprovoked life-threatening attack" by inmate Santino Casio. The assault targeted his back, torso, head, and face using a homemade "shank," resulting in a collapsed lung that necessitated emergency airlifting to a hospital. The incident took place on May 12, 2025.
Allegations of Negligence and Slow Response
Central to the lawsuit is the claim that prison officials knowingly or should have known the danger of housing Casio with Lanez. Casio is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder, with prior convictions including assault by a prisoner with a deadly weapon in 2008 and manufacturing a deadly weapon in 2018.
The legal documents allege that correctional officers responded slowly to the attack and failed to employ special measures such as flash grenades or smoke bombs to intervene. It further argues that Lanez's "high-profile celebrity status" made him a target, yet the institution still placed him with a violent inmate.
Additional Claims and Prison Transfer
Beyond the stabbing, the lawsuit accuses the defendants of unlawfully seizing Lanez's songbooks containing unpublished lyrics, which are claimed to hold significant future commercial value, and refusing to return them. Following the attack, Lanez was transferred to the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo County.
Background on Tory Lanez's Incarceration
Lanez is currently serving a 10-year sentence after being convicted in December 2022 of three felonies: assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. His appeal was rejected by a California court in November.
The conviction stems from a 2020 incident where hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion, legally named Megan Pete, testified that Lanez fired a gun at her feet after leaving a party at Kylie Jenner's Hollywood Hills home. She underwent surgery to remove bullet fragments from both feet and publicly identified Lanez as the shooter months later.
Career and Legal Proceedings
The 32-year-old Canadian rapper began his music career in 2009 with mixtapes, achieving steady popularity and releasing major label albums, two of which reached the top 10 on Billboard charts. His lawsuit was first reported by TMZ, and in response to inquiries, Department of Corrections spokesperson Ike Dodson stated the agency does not comment on pending litigation.
Notably, there is no record of Casio being charged in the assault, and an attorney previously representing him did not respond to requests for comment at the time of the incident.
