Tory Lanez Sentenced: Megan Thee Stallion Shooting Trial

Few music stories have cut as deep and divided as many as the night in July 2020 when rapper Tory Lanez allegedly shot Megan Thee Stallion during an argument in Los Angeles. What started as a car ride after a pool party turned into a high-profile trial that ended with a 10-year prison sentence and a flood of reactions from peers and fans.

Sentence length: 10 years · Year of shooting: 2020 · Age at sentencing: 31 · Net worth (estimated): $4 million · Victim: Megan Thee Stallion

Seven key facts on the case at a glance:

The pattern: a young celebrity’s fall from the Billboard charts to a state prison cell, driven by one night’s fatal escalation.

What happened with Tory Lanez?

Bottom line: On July 12, 2020, after a party in the Hollywood Hills, Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion in both feet during an argument. Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was arrested that same morning (PBS NewsHour / AP). The victim, Megan Pete – known globally as Megan Thee Stallion – required surgery and was hospitalized for several days (NPR).

In October 2020, Los Angeles prosecutors charged Lanez with felony assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded unregistered firearm, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence (PBS NewsHour / AP). He pleaded not guilty, but the case took nearly two years to reach trial.

What did Tory do to Megan?

According to court testimony, Lanez and Megan were riding in an SUV with two other people after a party when an argument broke out. Lanez, who was in the front passenger seat, fired a handgun backward toward the rear of the vehicle (NPR). Megan was struck in both feet; she described the pain and said she did not initially realize she had been shot (NPR).

The driver pulled over, and Megan was taken to a hospital where she underwent surgery to remove bullet fragments. She later testified that the scars and the public humiliation drove her into a deep depression – “I wish he would have just shot and killed me,” she said in court (NPR).

How did the Megan Thee Stallion shooting trial play out?

The trial began on November 22, 2022, in Los Angeles Superior Court (CNN). Over several weeks, prosecutors presented DNA evidence, gunshot residue matches, and testimony from Megan, the driver, and police officers. The defense argued that Megan had misidentified the shooter and that the charges were the result of celebrity pressure (NPR).

On December 23, 2022, the jury found Lanez guilty on all three counts (PBS NewsHour / AP). The maximum sentence he faced was 22 years and 8 months (ABC News). Judge David Herriford set sentencing for August 8, 2023.

At sentencing, Megan did not speak – but in an Elle essay published before the hearing, she wrote that the verdict was “a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them” (The Week / Elle excerpt).

The judge handed down a 10-year state prison sentence (PBS NewsHour / AP). ABC News initially reported the sentence as 10 years without the possibility of parole, though California sentencing guidelines allow for good-behavior credits (ABC News).

The implication: the trial was a rare instance where a celebrity perpetrator faced serious jail time in a domestic violence case involving two high-profile artists, setting a legal precedent for how the industry treats such claims.

How many years will Tory Lanez serve?

Tory Lanez received a 10-year sentence on August 8, 2023 (PBS NewsHour / AP). Under California law, he must serve at least 85% of that time before parole eligibility – that is, 8.5 years. With credit for time served (he was held without bail from conviction to sentencing, roughly 8 months), the earliest possible release would be around 2033 (ABC News).

He is currently incarcerated at North Kern State Prison in California, a medium-security facility (CNN). His projected release year, assuming no loss of good-time credits, is 2033.

What year will Tory Lanez come out?

Based on current sentencing, the earliest possible release year is 2033 (ABC News). That is, however, contingent on maintaining good behavior in prison and no successful appeal.

The pattern: a 31-year-old artist at sentencing will be in his early 40s when he walks out – the prime of his career already spent behind bars, while the music industry has largely moved on.

How is Tory Lanez doing now?

From inside North Kern State Prison, Lanez has been consistently releasing music. In 2024, he dropped a social-media-only album and regularly posts snippets on Instagram (Instagram (his official account)). His Instagram and Twitter accounts remain active, managed by his team, and fans continue to campaign for his release.

Celebrity reactions have been mixed. Drake, in a 2024 track “ICEMAN,” gave a line widely interpreted as support: “Free him, I ain’t even gotta say his name” (BBC News). Chris Brown publicly said he gave Lanez money out of friendship. Lanez himself wrote on Facebook after Chris Brown’s gesture: “Everyone ignored and turned me down except Chris Brown” (CBS News).

Megan Thee Stallion, meanwhile, has moved on professionally – she released new music and performed at major events, but has said in the Elle essay that she wants the public to remember what was done to her rather than debate it endlessly.

The trade-off: for Lanez, maintaining a music career while incarcerated is possible with team management, but he loses the live performance and touring revenue that made up the bulk of his estimated $4 million net worth.

Timeline signal

• July 12, 2020 – Shooting incident involving Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion (NPR)
• October 2020 – Lanez charged with felony assault (PBS NewsHour / AP)
• November 22, 2022 – Trial begins (CNN)
• December 23, 2022 – Lanez found guilty on all three counts (PBS NewsHour / AP)
• August 8, 2023 – Sentenced to 10 years in state prison (PBS NewsHour / AP)
• 2023 (ongoing) – Lanez incarcerated at North Kern State Prison; continues to release music from prison (Instagram (official))

The signal: from superstar to inmate in just over three years – a fall accelerated by a single act of violence that the legal system treated as seriously as the public did not.

What we know for sure

• Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion in July 2020 (PBS NewsHour / AP)
• He was convicted of three felony counts in December 2022 (PBS NewsHour / AP)
• He received a 10-year sentence in August 2023 (PBS NewsHour / AP)
• Drake mentioned “free him” in a 2024 song (BBC News)
• Chris Brown provided financial support (publicly stated on Facebook) (CBS News)

What’s unclear

• Exact release date – depends on parole eligibility and good behavior credits
• Whether Lanez will actually serve the full 10 years
• Full details of Chris Brown’s financial contribution amount
• Current status of any pending appeals

Voices from both sides

“Free him, I ain’t even gotta say his name.”

– Drake, in the 2024 song “ICEMAN” (referenced by BBC News)

“Everyone ignored and turned me down except Chris Brown.”

– Tory Lanez, in a Facebook post after Chris Brown sent financial support (reported by CBS News)

“I wish he would have just shot and killed me.”

– Megan Thee Stallion, in December 2022 trial testimony (NPR)

“It was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them.”

– Megan Thee Stallion, in her Elle essay (The Week / Elle excerpt)

These quotes capture the chasm: a victim demanding to be believed, an artist maintaining innocence, and peers taking sides in a case that split the industry.

What comes next is still unwritten. For Megan Thee Stallion, the chapter is closed – she said she will not address it again. For Tory Lanez, the next decade will be spent inside a cell, posting music to the outside world, while his fans and a few fellow artists keep his name alive. For the public, the case remains a stark reminder of how violence against women is often doubted, and how the legal system – slowly, imperfectly – can still deliver accountability.