D.A. reviewing possible charges in Megan Thee Stallion shooting case
The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office revealed Wednesday that it was reviewing a potential charge of felony assault with a firearm in a case in which rapper Megan Thee Stallion said she was shot.
The investigation involves recording artist Tory Lanez, who was arrested after Stallion alleged that she was shot in her feet last month outside a Hollywood Hills mansion.
Prosecutors said they were reviewing the case and had asked the Los Angeles Police Department to further investigate the incident.
Lanez was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon after he was detained leaving the area before dawn July 12 in a vehicle that eyewitnesses said may have been connected to reports of the shooting.
An attorney for Lanez could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
Stallion on Wednesday posted — and then deleted — an image on Instagram that she said showed the result of her being shot as she walked away outside the residence a Hollywood Hills mansion. “Why would I lie about getting shot,†Stallion said in a blunt post in response to comments questioning whether the WAP hitmaker was really hurt. She said she “underwent surgery to remove the bullets.†She has never publicly identified the shooter.
In a since-deleted post, rapper Megan Thee Stallion shared a photo of her injured foot for skeptics who doubt she was shot last month in Hollywood.
According to Ricardo Santiago, a district attorney’s spokesman, the LAPD presented an investigation for “felony assault with a semi-automatic firearm — personal use of a firearm:to the office and on July 24 prosecutors asked law enforcement for further investigation before making a filing decision.†Such referrals are common in high-profile investigations where prosecutors want more details before making a decision on whether a case can be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lanez, 27, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was arrested July 12 by the LAPD at the scene and released on $35,000 bond, jail records show.
For the second time in a month, Stallion on Wednesday used her social media accounts to defend herself against suggestions that she was not injured during the shooting. An initial LAPD account makes no mention of the artist being struck by gunfire and refers only to her suffering a foot injury.
“Lol what I have learned abt majority of the people on social media is y’all like to hear bad news before good news, a lie spreads quicker than the truth ... ,†she wrote. “I got hit at the back of my feet because when I got shot I was WALKING AWAY FACING THE BACK. why would I lie abt getting shot?†Stallion wrote on her Instagram account.
On that night in July, L.A. police officers swarmed the home in the 1800 block of Nichols Canyon about 4:30 a.m after receiving a report of gunfire. According to the LAPD, “witnesses to the incident provided a description of a suspect(s) and their vehicle.†Officers stopped a vehicle matching the description, detained multiple people and eventually arrested Lanez, according to a statement.
In a video of the aftermath, both Lanez and Stallion can be seen in handcuffs as officers try to determine what happened.
In a statement Wednesday, the LAPD said one person was taken to the hospital “with a foot injury.†Two sources familiar with the investigation said Stallion was displaying an injury at the scene consistent with her being struck by shattered glass. In the aftermath Stallion — whose real name is Megan Pete — posted on Instagram that “the narrative that is being reported about Sunday’s morning events are inaccurate.â€
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion thanked her fans and slammed her haters in a tearful Instagram Live video after suffering gunshot wounds in both her feet.
“On Sunday morning, I suffered gunshot wounds, as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me,†the “Savage†songstress said. I was never arrested, the police officers drove me to the hospital where I underwent surgery to remove the bullets. I’m incredibly grateful to be alive and that I’m expected to make a full recovery, but it was important for me to clarify the details about this traumatic night,†she wrote.
Sources familiar with the investigation who asked for anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss it said that the gun discharge was reckless and the round fired may have deflected and shrapnel likely hit the rapper.
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