After a two-week trial in Los Angeles, California, the jury has reached a verdict in the Megan Thee Stallion case against Tory Lanez. On Friday (December 23), Tory Lanez was found guilty of shooting and wounding Meg in July 2020. The 30-year-old rapper/singer was found guilty of all three felony charges surrounding the case: discharging a firearm with gross negligence, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He now faces more than 22 years in prison, which will be determined at an upcoming sentencing. According to TMZ, the Canadian-born Tory Lanez may face deportation following the verdict. He was immediately taken into custody, per ABC 7.

During the trial, Megan Thee Stallion testified that Tory fired a pistol aimed towards the back of her feet and shouted for her to dance as she walked away from an SUV. The two artists rode together in the Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills. Local police were notified of a shooting that had occurred, and stopped a Cadillac Escalade transporting Megan and Tory. Lanez was arrested for a concealed firearm. Meg, a chart-topping, Grammy Award-winning Rap artist, testified that she required surgery to remove bullet fragments from her feet. She also said that Lanez shouted “dance, b*tch” before firing towards her feet.

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During the closing arguments, prosecutors pointed out that Megan exercised courage in speaking out against her assailant. Lanez’ defense team has argued that the Grammy-nominated artist did not pull the trigger. Instead, they allege that Meg’s close associate Kelsey Harris was responsible. The legal team says that Harris and Meg, born Megan Pete, were in a jealous argument over Lanez, which resulted in the incident. The Associated Press reports that attorney George Mgdesyan has charged that Megan manufactured a narrative that pins the incident on Lanez to seek public sympathy. Kelsey Harris has reportedly corroborated Meg’s account, claiming that Tory Lanez was responsible for the injury.

An eyewitness to the incident, Sean Kelly, was called by the defense. Per the AP, Kelly’s said he witnessed muzzle flashes that appeared to come from a woman but also claimed he saw a small man “firing everywhere.” An arrest report from The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department recorded Lanez’ height as 5’3″.

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Ahead of the trial, both artists addressed this incident in music. In September 2020, Lanez used much of his fifth album, Daystar, to allude to the incident. On the opening song “Money Over Fallouts,” the Canadian MC/singer rapped: “Megan’s people try’na frame me for a shootin’ / But them boys ain’t clean enough / I see how they teamin’ up, watchin’ and I’m calculatin’ / Gotta keep it quiet, I can’t jeopardize the outcome waitin’ / Seein’ certain ni**as hatin’, like, how this ni**a hatin’? / I done gave these people so much features, made these ni**as famous.”

In November 2020, months after being struck, Meg included “Shots Fired” atop Good News. The song sampling The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Who Shot Ya” included lyrics: “And if it weren’t for me, same week, you would have been indicted (Should’ve let them lock your ass up) / You offered M’s not to talk, I guess that made my friend excited, hmm” and “You shot a 5’10” b*tch with a .22 / Talkin’ ’bout bones and tendons like them bullets wasn’t pellets / A p*ssy ni**a with a p*ssy gun in his feelings / Okay, he in the backseat and he keep callin’ me a b*tch (he a b*tch) / We all know the sh*t I could’ve came back with (lil’-ass ni**a).” Those lyrics appear to address initial reports published at TMZ, per Variety, that said the rapper injured herself stepping on broken glass at the floor of a vehicle. By August of 2020, during an Instagram Live post, The Stallion implicated Lanez for the gunshot injury.

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In “Shots Fired,” she also alleged that Tory Lanez’ offered millions to remain quiet. In the next verse, the 27-year-old Houston, Texas MC spit: “It’s a lotta weak ni**as in this b*tch / They confused, they hate me, but watch my videos beatin’ they d*ck / Who a snitch? I ain’t never went to the police with no names.” The song ends, “Kick me while I’m down bad, I remember all that / Next ni**a send a shot, I’m a sent it right back.” 

No date has been given for Tory Lanez’ sentencing.