LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jurors began deliberating Thursday in the trial of rapper Tory Lanez, who is accused of shooting and wounding hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in the legs.
The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for just over three hours after hearing the last part of the defense’s closing argument that began the day before and a brief rebuttal from Los Angeles prosecutors.
They did not reach a verdict and will return on Friday to resume deliberations on the three counts against the 30-year-old Canadian rapper, who has pleaded not guilty: grossly negligent discharge of a firearm, assault with a weapon semi-automatic and carry. a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle. Catches could lead to up to 22 years in prison and deportation.
Megan Thee Stallion, 27, whose legal name is Megan Pete, testified that Lanez pulled a gun behind her legs and yelled at her to dance as she walked away from an SUV they were traveling in . Hollywood Hills, in Hollywood. summer of 2020. He needed surgery to remove bullet fragments from his legs.
In closing arguments, prosecutors highlighted the courage it took to come forward and the vitriol he faced for doing so. They said he had no incentive to tell anything but the truth.
Lanez’s attorney argued in closing that the shots were actually fired by Megan’s best friend, Kelsey Harris, in a jealous row over Lanez, who tried to stop the shooting. The attorney, George Mgdesyan, argues that Megan created a more sympathetic narrative by attributing the shooting to Lanez.
Harris denied being the shooter and had previously identified Lanez as the one holding the gun. His lawyer, in an email, declined to comment on his involvement.
The jury Thursday asked for a retrial of the only non-involved eyewitness to the crash, a man on a nearby balcony with his children who said his concerns for their safety prevented him from taking a closer look. .
Sean Kelly was called by the defense, but both sides argued that his account favored them. He said he saw muzzle flashes that appeared to be coming from a woman, but also said he saw a little man “shooting all over the place.”
Lanez — whose legal name is Daystar Peterson — began releasing mixtapes in 2009 and has seen a steady rise in popularity, moving on to major-label albums. His last two reached the top 10 on the Billboard charts.
Megan Thee Stallion was already a major star on the rise at the time of filming, and her prominence has only grown since then. He won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 2021 and had a No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 with his track “Savage” featuring Beyoncé and as a guest on Cardi B’s “WAP.”
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton
