After a nine-day trial, Tory Lanez has been convicted of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in July 2020.
On Friday afternoon a Los Angeles jury found the Canadian rapper, born Daystar Peterson, guilty of all three charges — assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Lanez will be sentenced Jan. 27. The convictions may carry up to 22 years and eight months in prison.
Lanez, 30, showed "no visible reaction" as the verdict came down, the Associated Press reports, adding that he was handcuffed shortly thereafter.
"The jury got it right," Megan Thee Stallion's lawyer Alex Spiro tells PEOPLE. "I am thankful there is justice for Meg."
The rapper, née Megan Pete, was commended by Los Angeles Country District Attorney George Gascón following the verdict.
"I want to start by highlighting the bravery of Megan Pete. You showed incredible courage and vulnerability with your testimony despite repeated and grotesque attacks that you did not deserve. You faced unjust and despicable scrutiny that no woman should ever face and you have been an inspiration to others across LA County and the nation," Gascón wrote in a statement.
"Women, especially Black women, are afraid to report crimes like assault and sexual violence because they are too often not believed. This trial, for the second time this month, highlighted the numerous ways that our society must do better for women," he continued.
"I'd also like to thank the jurors for their time and thoughtful deliberation, and our trial team for their tireless pursuit of the truth. You spent countless hours away from your families during the holiday season preparing this case and finding justice for Ms. Pete. Your sacrifice is appreciated."
On the second day of the trial, Pete, 27, delivered an emotional testimony and said that she was finding it tough to open up.
"I'm having a really difficult time sitting up here telling my story and having to sit across [from] people who have made up lies about me and having to [sit] across from Tory," Pete said.
Getting emotional, she added, "I try to be strong. I don't like to look weak. I don't want to give them the power that they've taken from me for the last three years."
Pete was then asked to recall the events of the alleged shooting, stating that she saw Lanez shooting "at me." She also insisted that while she felt betrayed by her then-friend Kelsey Harris (who was present during the incident), she was confident that it was Lanez who shot her.
According to Pete, "He said, 'Dance bitch,' and I turned to him and saw him shoot."
She also expressed her frustration with how the case played out, explaining that several male musicians took Lanez's side. Pete also said she felt that the incident changed the trajectory of her career.
Lanez declined to testify in his own defense earlier this week, Rolling Stone reported Wednesday.
During closing arguments on Wednesday, a prosecutor urged the jury to find Lanez guilty of shooting Pete "over nothing but a bruised ego," according to ABC7. Meanwhile, the defense insisted that he didn't fire the gun at all and it was Harris who pulled the trigger.
While Harris was not charged in the case, she did testify and said that she did not shoot the "WAP" rapper.
Lanez was charged in October 2020 with one felony count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, personal use of a firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in November 2020.
In October 2022, Lanez was ordered under house arrest and electronic monitoring, with Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott arguing at the time that Lanez posed a danger to society and previously defied court orders not to come within 100 yards of Pete (Lanez was previously arrested in April for violating court orders by addressing Pete directly on social media and disclosing DNA evidence via a third-party Twitter user).
The "Luv" singer's house arrest was terminated earlier this month in order for him to prepare for trial, according to Rolling Stone.
