The shooting case against Tory Lanez isn’t going well for the Canadian artist right off the bat, as Rolling Stone reports he’s been given a new, third charge to fight in addition to the existing felony charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. Now, he must also defend himself from the additional charge of discharging a firearm with gross negligence in the 2020 incident that allegedly left bullet shrapnel in Megan Thee Stallion’s feet.
The trial, which was postponed again in September, is finally underway after over a year of delays requested by Tory’s defense. While the Toronto rapper was released from house arrest earlier this week to prepare for his defense, the new charge increases the stakes for him, as it carries a possible six-year prison sentence. Tory could also still be deported if convicted of this charge, even if he avoids the assault conviction. Tory has maintained his innocence ever since Megan publicly accused him of shooting at her feet and yelling, “Dance, bitch!” pointing to Meg’s initial testimony changing following the immediate aftermath of the incident. However, Megan has said she initially lied to protect the occupants of Tory’s vehicle in light of recent police shootings of Black citizens.
Meanwhile, witness testimonies have proven unreliable (as they so often are), but given that there were only four people in the car, including Megan, the possibilities for the shooter remain… well, limited. While Tory’s defense seems to be leaning toward suggesting that Megan’s then-friend Kelsey Harris fired the shots, Tory’s call to Harris from county jail apologizing for what happened could put the kibosh on that defense, provided Harris is willing to testify.
Opening statements in the trial are set to begin on December 12
Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.