Rapper Tory Lanez was given a 10-year prison term on Tuesday for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, a prominent figure in the hip-hop community.
The punishment was given to 31-year-old Lanez by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford. Lanez was found guilty of three felonies in December, including assault with a semiautomatic weapon, keeping a loaded, unauthorized firearm in a moving vehicle, and careless gun discharge.
The verdict puts an end to a contentious trial that sparked a cultural uproar in the hip-hop scene and raised issues such as Black victims' reluctance to cooperate with police, gender politics in hip-hop, online toxicity, protecting Black women, and the effects of misogynoir, a particular type of misogyny experienced by Black women.
Prior to being sentenced, Lanez reportedly begged for compassion, requesting probation or a light prison term: "If I could turn back the series of events that night and change them," he reportedly said. "My acquaintance was the victim. I still have feelings for the victim today.
He continued, "I take full responsibility for everything I did wrong that night.
During the sentence hearing, many individuals praised Lanez for being a good father, charitable, and nice person, but Herriford claimed it was "difficult to reconcile" Lanez with the person who shot Megan.
(Source: AP)