New details continue to come to light about the alleged shooting incident involving Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez.
Nearly three months after reports claimed the two artists were involved in a disagreement that ended in gunshots being fired, Tory Lanez has officially been charged with shooting Megan following an altercation in Hollywood Hills. In the months after the incident, both artists have come forward to share their sides of the story.
Pulling information from their social media accounts and public records, here’s what we know about the incident right now. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
What happened?
On Sunday, July 12, Los Angeles police officers reportedly received a call about a disturbance outside of a Hollywood Hills residence around 4:30 a.m. Upon arrival, witnesses told officers they overheard people arguing in an SUV before shots were fired. According to a statement from the Hollywood division of the Los Angeles Police Department, Tory Lanez and Megan thee Stallion got into an argument while riding around in the SUV. When Megan attempted to exit the vehicle, Lanez allegedly fired his gun several times, striking and wounding Megan in her feet. Sources close to the incident told Complex that Lanez told Megan to “dance bitch” before shooting her, but that detail has been denied by Lanez’ camp.
Who else was there?
All of the passengers in the SUV that night have not yet been revealed. Megan’s friend Kelsey Nicole, claimed she was in the vehicle on Instagram, shortly after the incident happened. Megan also stated that Tory was accompanied by his security team that night. Early reports state that police discovered Megan, Tory, and an unidentified woman in the SUV at the time of the arrest.
Why were Megan and Tory together that night?
TMZ has reported Megan and Tory were hopping between pool parties the night of the incident. The rappers were seen on Instagram Live with Kylie Jenner who hosted a pool party at Kylie’s Holmby Hills residence.
Was anyone hurt in the incident?
Initial reports claimed Megan Thee Stallion was taken to the hospital to be treated for stepping on glass, but the rapper revealed on Instagram that she suffered from gunshot wounds “as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me.” Police officers reportedly escorted Megan to the hospital where she underwent surgery to “remove the bullets.” Four bullet casings were recovered from the scene.
What do medical records say?
Complex has reviewed Cedar-Sinai’s medical records from the incident, and they are consistent with Megan’s account that she was shot in her feet. The records confirm that shrapnel was found in her heel.
Is there video footage?
There is no footage from the shooting, but a video has been circulating the internet that seems to show the arrest. In the video, a woman believed to be Megan Thee Stallion is seen with her hands in the air. Another woman is kneeling on the ground close to the SUV. Later, two people believed to be Megan and Tory are standing with their backs to the camera as police officers and first responders walk by. At the end of the video, a woman asks, “Megan, you okay?”
Will Megan recover from her injuries?
Yes, Megan appears to be doing much better. “I’m incredibly grateful to be alive and that I’m expected to make a full recovery,” she wrote in a statement on Instagram. Since the incident, Megan Thee Stallion has gone on to perform at several live events including the season premiere of Saturday Night Live.
Was Megan Thee Stallion arrested?
No. Grainy video footage published by TMZ on July 15, seemingly shows Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez being swarmed and surrendering to police, but the Houston rapper has debunked those reports. In a statement that was released on her Instagram page three days after the incident, Megan confirmed that she was not arrested or detained by police.
Was Tory Lanez arrested?
Yes. Tory Lanez was arrested around 4:40a.m. on Sunday, July 12. At the time, he was just charged with one felony count of carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle.
What has Tory Lanez been charged with?
On October 8, Tory Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was charged with felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, personal use of a firearm, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. Lanez is also facing a gun allegation that he personally inflicted “great bodily injury,” according to the LAPD.
Is Tory Lanez facing jail time?
Yes. If convicted, Tory Lanez faces up to 22 years in prison. His arraignment is scheduled for October 13 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Deputy Attorney Kathy of the Family Violence Division will be prosecuting his case.
What do the police records say?
According to police records obtained by Complex, Tory Lanez was released the same day of his arrest on July 12—nearly two hours after his booking—on $35,000 bail. Although an LAPD spokesperson told TMZ that Megan never told them she was a victim at the time, the LAPD later identified Lanez as a suspect in the case. L.A. County prosecutors were previously told that Lanez was charged with a felony assault with a firearm, but the LAPD sent it back for further investigation, according to the Los Angeles Times.
What have Megan and Tory said about the incident?
Weeks after the incident occurred, Megan Thee Stallion hopped on Instagram Live where she confirmed that Tory was the shooter. “Yes, this nigga Tory shot me. You shot me, and you got your publicist and your people going to these blogs, lying and shit,” Megan said. The rapper shared more details from the incident, saying that he shot her while she was trying to leave the car. Megan also revealed that she did not tell police what really happened that night because she feared for both her and Lanez’s safety. “The police came, I'm scared. All this shit going on with the police? The police is shooting motherfuckers for anything," she added. "The police was literally killing Black people for no motherfucking reason.. You think I'm about to tell the police that we—niggas, us Black people—got a gun in the car?”
After staying off social media and out of the press in the many weeks following the incident, Tory Lanez broke his silence on September 25. “There is a time to stay silent. And a time to speak. I said all I could say on this,” he wrote on Twitter. Hours later, Tory dropped DAYSTAR, a 17-track album, addressing the shooting allegations as well as his relationship with Megan. On the project, Tory claimed he was being framed, saying that he was the target of a smear campaign. In addition to painting Megan as a liar, he also took aim at several celebrities who condemned him in the media, including Kehlani, JR Smith, Chance the Rapper, AsianDoll, and more.
What are people around Megan and Tory saying?
Lots of celebrities have voiced their opinions on the situation. Rick Ross went back and forth with Tory on Twitter after Ross called out Lanez for dropping an album about the shooting. L.A. Lakers forward JR Smith called Tory a “clown” for shooting a woman. Kehlani and Jojo removed Lanez from their recent collaborations. T.I., Chance the Rapper, Trae Tha Truth, Bun B, Halle Berry, and more also reacted to the news.
Shortly after the story was initially reports, producer LilJuMadeDaBeat, who produced records on Megan’s Suga and Fever mixtapes, posted and deleted a message on Twitter, writing, “Count your fucking days.” Megan’s close friend, Kelsey Nicole, who was initially believed to have played a role in the shooting, clarified rumors online, writing, “I want to clear up the rumor that I shot Megan. I wasn’t the one with the gun, and I would never do something like that. However, I was present.
