Tory Lanez is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for allegedly shooting Megan Thee Stallion, but his legal team now claims new evidence proves someone else was responsible. At a Wednesday press conference, several individuals stated that Lanez—whose real name is Daystar Peterson—never fired the gun involved in the 2020 incident. His attorneys introduced fresh evidence suggesting he was not the shooter during the night Megan was injured in the Hollywood Hills.
Gianno Caldwell, speaking on behalf of Lanez, argued that the artist did not receive a fair trial, citing political pressure, media influence, and bias as factors. The conference was organized by United the People, a nonprofit group focused on legal advocacy and social justice. This event follows news that Lanez was recently stabbed multiple times in prison. A statement from his team shared on Instagram reported injuries to his back, torso, head, and face. He is currently hospitalized in Bakersfield.
Lanez’s legal team is pushing for his release, saying the time has come to bring him home. Ceasar McDowell, CEO and co-founder of United the People, opened the conference with a call for justice. Attorney Walter Roberts echoed claims of Lanez’s innocence, alleging that it was Megan Thee Stallion’s former friend Kelsey Harris who fired the shots. A bodyguard allegedly stated Harris fired three times at Megan before Lanez intervened, grabbing her arm, which caused two more shots to go off.
Roberts emphasized that Lanez never fired the weapon, pointing out that an eyewitness, Sean Kelly, testified during the trial that he saw two women fighting. He also noted that, although three people were in the car that night, only Lanez’s DNA was tested—despite unidentified DNA being found on the firearm.
Regarding the prison attack, officials identified 42-year-old Santino Casio as the alleged perpetrator.
Casio is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and has a history of violent offenses, including previous assaults committed while incarcerated.
