Tory Lanez’s ongoing legal battle over his conviction for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in 2020 has taken another turn. On November 19, 2024, California’s legal system dismissed Lanez’s claim that the gun involved in the shooting was missing. Court documents confirmed that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) still holds the firearm, its magazine, and all related evidence from the incident. This rejection adds to a series of unsuccessful attempts by Lanez to overturn his conviction. His legal troubles continue as he faces a decade-long prison sentence for assault with an automatic firearm and other charges.
Tory Lanez, a Canadian artist, has been fighting to get a retrial in his 2020 shooting case involving Megan Thee Stallion. He has filed multiple motions since his conviction, all of which have been rejected.
“On November 19, 2024, California’s state authorities denied his latest claim about the missing firearm used in the shooting.”
Lanez alleged that the gun, which played a crucial role in the incident, had gone missing. However, court documents confirm that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) still possesses the gun, its magazine, and any related bullet fragments. These key pieces of evidence were booked into evidence shortly after the incident.
The documents released by the court further detailed the findings of the investigation, addressing other aspects of Lanez’s legal battle. One of the major claims Lanez made was that Megan Thee Stallion’s former best friend, Kelsey Harris, may have been the actual shooter. However, legal filings rejected this idea, stating that 90 percent of the DNA evidence retrieved from the firearm pointed to a male. The court emphasized that the DNA could not have come from a woman like Harris. This finding cast further doubt on Lanez’s defense that someone else was responsible for the shooting.
The 2020 shooting incident in the Hollywood Hills had already garnered widespread media attention, and the legal aftermath continued to be heavily scrutinized. Lanez was convicted in December 2022 of charges related to the shooting, including assault with an automatic firearm, carrying an unregistered loaded firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. In August 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for these offenses.
Lanez’s efforts to challenge his conviction have been ongoing. In October 2024, he filed an ethics complaint against his former attorney, Shawn Holley, alleging that she had ties to Roc Nation, the management company of Megan Thee Stallion. However, Holley quickly dismissed these claims, suggesting that Lanez’s actions were likely an attempt to publicize his legal challenges and possibly influence his appeal. She wished him the best in his appeal process but made it clear that she believed his claims were unfounded.
As Lanez continues to fight his conviction, the case involving Megan Thee Stallion is still far from over. Megan has also been involved in separate legal matters, including a lawsuit against the gossip blogger Milagro Gramz. Megan accuses Gramz of using her platform to spread false and damaging information about her. A proposed trial date for this case has been set for July 21, 2025.
Lanez’s ongoing attempts to overturn his conviction have drawn attention to the legal complexities surrounding his case. While the latest court ruling against him might have been a setback, his legal team is likely to continue pursuing further appeals. However, for now, the evidence presented in the case strongly supports the conviction, and his claim about the missing firearm has been firmly rejected.
Despite Lanez’s claims, the LAPD maintains control of the weapon and the other evidence from the shooting incident, meaning that any suggestion of the firearm’s disappearance is unfounded. Legal experts suggest that Lanez’s appeals may continue, but with little to no new evidence to challenge the conviction, his chances of success seem slim.
In an interview about the ongoing case, criminal defense attorney Michael Jacobs said, “Without any new substantial evidence, Tory Lanez’s chances of overturning his conviction appear increasingly unlikely.”
As Lanez serves his prison sentence, the public and legal experts alike will be watching to see if his latest efforts will make a difference in his future or if this chapter in his legal battles will soon be over.
