Tory Lanez’s shooting trial began Monday with opening statements, more than two years after Megan Thee Stallion accused the R&B artist of inflicting “great bodily injury” toward her.
In a criminal complaint, prosecutors said Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, fired a gun at a victim identified as “Megan P.” after she got out of an SUV during an argument in the Hollywood Hills on July 12, 2020. Megan’s legal name is Megan Pete.
At first, Los Angeles police reported the incident as shots fired, a woman with foot injuries and a man arrested on a weapons allegation. Megan revealed a few days later that her foot injuries came from gunshots.
Following months of speculation and publicity surrounding the incident, prosecutors charged Lanez in October 2020.
Lanez, charged with felony assault, pleaded not guilty in November 2020.
Jury selection in the case began Dec. 5. According to the Los Angeles Times, the trial is expected to last about eight days.
Keep reading for the biggest revelations out of the trial.
In interview, Kelsey Harris says she saw Tory Lanez shoot at Megan’s feet
Kelsey Harris, a former friend of Megan’s and a witness to the alleged shooting, said in a recorded interview played for jurors Friday that she saw Lanez fire a gun at Megan’s feet.
“He was shooting the gun,” Harris says on the recording, describing seeing Lanez standing beside an SUV in the Hollywood Hills, leaning over the front passenger-side door and pointing the gun at the ground near Megan.
Following Lanez’s lawyers’ suggestion in cross-examination that Harris had been coerced into making the statements, the judge granted the prosecution the unusual move of playing the entire 78-minute recording for the jury.
In contrast to her evasive, at times combative performance on the stand, Harris was cordial in the recorded interview, and the prosecutors rarely had to prompt her. She stated on the recording that she had been drinking heavily, as had the others in the car, and was about to get out of the car when she heard several shots. When she looked up, Lanez was firing more gunshots.
Harris’ account of the night on the recording was similar to Megan’s account from Tuesday’s testimony, but differed slightly. Lanez, according to Harris, remained silent while firing. Megan testified that he yelled “Dance, (expletive)” at her before shooting.
Kelsey Harris reportedly pleads the Fifth Amendment and testifies in court.
According to Rolling Stone, Kelsey Harris, a former friend of Megan’s and a witness to the alleged shooting, invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to provide testimony that could be used against her.
According to the outlet, Harris testified Wednesday that he was in the car with Megan and Lanez before the alleged shooting. She claimed that all three of them got into a fight and were verbally attacking each other.
According to Rolling Stone, Harris also confirmed on the stand that she told prosecutors that Lanez threatened to shoot her while they were in the car.
When prosecutors questioned Harris about “what (Lanez) did and said,” she asked the judge if she could “take my fifth,” according to Rolling Stone.
Harris returned to the stand after consulting with her lawyer to exercise her Fifth Amendment right.
“I don’t want to be here,” she told the judge, according to the report.
Before Harris took the stand, her lawyer informed the judge that she intended to invoke her Fifth Amendment right, according to Rolling Stone.
According to the outlet, the judge found Harris’ concerns “legitimate” following an in-chambers proceeding on the matter.
Prosecutors then offered Harris “use immunity” in exchange for her testimony, and she agreed, according to the outlet.
