Dozens of protesters stood outside a courtroom in Los Angeles, California as security escorted Daystar “Tory Lanez” Peterson and his legal representatives inside. The 30-year-old chart-topping star has been charged with multiple felony crimes after he allegedly shot Megan “Thee Stallion” Pete in Los Angeles on July 12, 2020. Peterson has maintained his innocence and entered a not-guilty plea.
“We are confident that at the conclusion of this trial the truth will come out and Mr. Peterson will be exonerated of all charges,” Tory Lanez’s attorney, Sarkis Manukyan, said.
Pete, her legal representation and her public supporters have presented a united front. The Grammy Award winner’s attorneys have claimed the Toronto native “personally inflicted great bodily injury” on the unarmed artist and should be punished by the law.
“I want him to go to jail,” the Houston native told Rolling Stone earlier this year.
On Monday, Lanez, Pete and several others stood by as prosecutors and defense attorneys presented their opening statements. Allegations regarding intimate relationships involving NBA star Ben Simmons and Billboard hitmaker DaBaby have captured the attention of social media users and various newsgatherers. The day’s court proceedings also laid the roadmap for the remainder of the trial. Most notably, ABC News has reported that Megan Thee Stallion is expected to testify in court on December 13. As previously mentioned, the Grammy Award winner has repeatedly claimed that Tory Lanez shot her in the foot following a pool party at the home of Kylie Jenner in 2020.
“You shot me and you got your publicist and your people going to these blogs lying and sh*t. Stop lying. Why lie? I don’t understand,” she said in 2020.
According to multiple outlets, Lanez and Kelsey Nicole Harris, who is described by many as Pete’s former best friend, tested positive for the gun residue at the time of the incident. As a result, attorneys representing the Toronto artist are expected to argue that it is plausible to believe that Harris could have fired a weapon at Pete. However, prosecutors have indicated that Harris will testify that she “saw her close friend get shot by the defendant.”
Rounding out the list of high-profile witnesses expected to take the stand, Corey Gamble, Kris Jenner’s partner, is expected to take the stand. It is believed that he was present at the pool party prior to the incident in question.
