On Monday, May 12, Daystar “Tory Lanez” Peterson was reportedly stabbed 14 times by a fellow inmate at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi, California. The singer sustained two collapsed lungs, but is receiving medical care and appears to be “pulling through.”
“Tory was stabbed 14 times[,] including [seven] wounds to his back, [four] to his torso, [two] to the back of his head, and [one] to the left side of his face,” a message posted to the artist’s Instagram account reads. “Both of his lungs collapsed, and he was placed on a breathing apparatus. He is now breathing on his own. Despite being in pain, he is talking normally, in good spirits, and deeply thankful to God that he is pulling through. He also wants to thank everyone for their continued prayers and support.”
Tory Lanez, a singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer from the Toronto area, broke onto the scene with the 2015 single, “Say It.” The success of “Say It,” coupled with his Chixtape and New Toronto mixtape series, propelled him into the mainstream as both a recording artist and songwriter. However, his rise within the music industry was derailed in 2020 when he left a small social gathering in California with GRAMMY Award-winner Megan “Meg Thee Stallion” Pete. While leaving, the two reportedly engaged in a verbal back-and-forth that resulted in Meg Thee Stallion sustaining a foot injury. Initially, reports suggested the injury was caused by broken glass, but the Texas Southern graduate later clarified that it was the result of a gunshot.
“Black women are still constantly disrespected and disregarded in so many areas of life. I was recently the victim of an act of violence by a man. After a party, I was shot twice as I walked away from him. We were not in a relationship. Truthfully, I was shocked that I ended up in that place,” Meg Thee Stallion wrote in an op-ed published by the New York Times.
Lanez pleaded not guilty, but ultimately, he was tried and convicted of three felonies, including assault with a semiautomatic handgun. He has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
In the aftermath of the stabbing, legal representatives for Lanez have called for Governor Gavin Newsom to pardon him and claimed to have new evidence that suggests another shooter is responsible for the injuries Megan Thee Stallion sustained.
Megan Thee Stallion’s attorney, Alex Spiro, has fired back at the claims made by Tory Lanez’s legal representation.
“Tory Lanez was tried and convicted by a jury of his peers and his case was properly adjudicated through the court system,” Spiro stated. “This is not a political matter — this is a case of a violent assault that was resolved in the court of law.”
