Tory Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, is serving a 10-year California state-prison sentence after a Los Angeles jury convicted him of three felony firearm offenses arising from the 2020 shooting of rapper Megan Thee Stallion, whose legal name is Megan Pete.
The case began after a late-night dispute in the Hollywood Hills on July 12, 2020. Prosecutors said Peterson fired a semiautomatic handgun several times toward Pete as she walked away from a vehicle, injuring both of her feet. Pete testified at trial that Peterson was the person who fired the gun.
A jury convicted Peterson in December 2022 of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. In August 2023, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Herriford sentenced him to 10 years in state prison.
Peterson has continued to maintain that he was wrongly convicted. His direct appeal, however, was rejected by the California Court of Appeal in November 2025. The California Supreme Court declined to review the case on February 25, 2026. As of October 1, 2026, he remains incarcerated at California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo County.
Why Is Tory Lanez in Jail?
Tory Lanez is in jail because a California jury found him guilty of three felony offenses connected with the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion.
The three convictions were:
- Assault with a semiautomatic firearm
• Carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle
• Discharging a firearm with gross negligence
The most serious part of the case was the assault conviction. Prosecutors argued that Lanez fired a gun at Megan after an argument and wounded her feet.
The jury accepted the prosecution’s case and returned guilty verdicts on all three counts in December 2022.
That is the legal reason he is in prison. He was not jailed simply because of an accusation or a celebrity dispute. His imprisonment followed a criminal trial, jury verdicts, sentencing, and unsuccessful appeals.
What Happened on the Night of the Shooting?
The shooting occurred in the early hours of July 12, 2020.
Megan Thee Stallion, Lanez, Megan’s friend Kelsey Harris, and Lanez’s driver had been together after leaving a gathering at Kylie Jenner’s home in the Hollywood Hills.
According to evidence presented at trial, an argument developed inside the vehicle. Megan eventually got out.
Megan testified that Lanez fired several shots in her direction as she walked away. She suffered wounds to both feet and later underwent surgery to remove bullet fragments.
Police responding to the incident stopped the vehicle. The criminal investigation that followed eventually led to charges against Lanez.
The prosecution’s original case included an assault charge and a firearm charge. A third count, grossly negligent discharge of a firearm, was added before the case went to the jury.
The Charges Against Tory Lanez
Los Angeles County prosecutors originally charged Lanez in October 2020.
The prosecution alleged that he assaulted Megan with a semiautomatic firearm and carried a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle.
The assault count also involved firearm allegations and an allegation that the conduct caused great bodily injury.
Before jury deliberations in December 2022, the court allowed prosecutors to add the lesser alternative charge of discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
The jury ultimately found Lanez guilty on all three felony counts.
These convictions are important because reports sometimes reduce the case to a single phrase such as “the Megan Thee Stallion shooting.” Legally, however, Lanez is imprisoned under a judgment covering three separate firearm-related felony convictions.
What Evidence Did the Jury Hear?
The trial lasted several days and included testimony from Megan Thee Stallion, Kelsey Harris, law-enforcement witnesses, medical evidence, forensic evidence, recorded statements, and other testimony about events before and after the shooting.
Megan testified that Lanez was the shooter.
The jury also heard evidence concerning gunshot residue. Prosecutors presented evidence that residue was detected on Lanez’s hands as well as on Harris.
Another significant part of the trial involved Harris. Her testimony in court differed in important respects from an earlier recorded interview with prosecutors. The prosecution was permitted to play substantial portions of that earlier statement for the jury.
Lanez’s defense challenged the prosecution’s theory and argued that the evidence did not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that he had fired the gun.
After deliberations, however, the jury convicted him on every count submitted.
When Was Tory Lanez Convicted?
The jury returned its verdict on December 23, 2022.
Lanez was convicted of all three felonies.
Following the verdict, he was taken into custody while the case moved toward sentencing.
His attorneys later sought a new trial and challenged aspects of the proceedings. Those efforts did not overturn the verdict.
The conviction became the basis for the 10-year sentence imposed several months later.
Why Did Tory Lanez Receive a 10-Year Sentence?
Judge David Herriford sentenced Lanez on August 8, 2023.
The sentence was 10 years in California state prison.
Sentencing involved more than simply adding the maximum punishment for every charge. California sentencing law required the judge to consider the offenses, firearm-related factors, aggravating and mitigating circumstances, Lanez’s background, the harm to the victim, and other legally relevant information.
Prosecutors had sought a substantial prison sentence. The defense asked for a more lenient outcome and presented evidence about Lanez’s personal history and charitable work.
The judge ultimately imposed 10 years.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said the sentence followed Lanez’s convictions for the 2020 attack and shooting of Megan Pete.
Is Tory Lanez Still in Jail in 2026?
Yes.
As of October 1, 2026, Tory Lanez remains incarcerated in California while serving the 10-year sentence.
Following a serious prison attack in 2025, he was transferred to California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo County.
His direct state appeal has been completed, and the California Supreme Court has declined to review the conviction.
That does not necessarily mean every possible form of post-conviction litigation is forever closed. Prisoners can sometimes pursue habeas corpus claims or federal constitutional challenges under limited circumstances. But such proceedings do not automatically suspend a valid sentence.
Unless a court later grants relief, Lanez remains subject to the existing criminal judgment.
The 2025 Prison Stabbing
Lanez suffered a serious attack while incarcerated in May 2025.
According to later court filings and news reports, another inmate stabbed him approximately 16 times at a California prison in Tehachapi. He suffered wounds to his back, torso, head, and face, as well as two collapsed lungs.
He was transported to a hospital and survived the attack.
Lanez was later transferred to California Men’s Colony.
The prison attack did not change the criminal conviction or sentence in the Megan Thee Stallion case. It became the subject of separate civil litigation.
Tory Lanez’s $100 Million Lawsuit Against California Prison Officials
In April 2026, Lanez filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit seeking $100 million from the California prison system and several officials.
The lawsuit alleges that prison authorities failed to protect him from the inmate who attacked him and that officials should have recognized the danger of housing the two men together.
Lanez also alleges that correctional officials improperly seized songbooks containing unpublished lyrics.
Those allegations are part of a separate civil case. They do not challenge the jury verdict that put him in prison.
California prison officials have said they do not comment on pending litigation. The claims remain allegations unless and until established through the civil court process.
and any future legal proceedings.
Could His Conviction Still Be Overturned?
The ordinary state appellate route has largely run its course.
The California Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment in November 2025, and the California Supreme Court declined review in February 2026.
A prisoner may still attempt other forms of post-conviction relief, including habeas corpus proceedings, if there is a legally sufficient basis.
Those proceedings are different from a direct appeal. They often concern constitutional violations, newly discovered evidence, ineffective assistance of counsel, or other issues that meet strict procedural requirements.
The existence of additional filings does not mean the original verdict has been invalidated. As of October 1, 2026, the convictions and 10-year sentence remain in force.
Why the Case Received So Much Attention
The Lanez case drew exceptional attention because both the defendant and the victim were internationally known recording artists.
The case also generated extensive public arguments about credibility, treatment of women who report violence, social-media commentary, celebrity influence, and the way criminal cases are discussed before a jury reaches a verdict.
Those public debates were separate from the legal question the jurors were required to decide.
The jury’s task was to determine whether prosecutors had proved the charged offenses beyond a reasonable doubt based on the evidence admitted at trial.
The jury concluded that they had.
Conclusion
Tory Lanez is in prison because a Los Angeles jury convicted him of three felony firearm offenses arising from the July 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion.
The convictions were for assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Judge David Herriford sentenced Lanez to 10 years in state prison in August 2023.
Lanez has continued to dispute the verdict, but his direct appeal failed. The California Court of Appeal affirmed the convictions in November 2025, and the California Supreme Court denied review on February 25, 2026.
