Tory Lanez’s trial commences with opening statements on the Megan Thee Stallion shooting

The trial against Tory Lanez for the alleged 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion (full name Megan Pete) started yesterday with opening statements.

Los Angeles County’s deputy district attorney Alexander Bott attests that it was Lanez (legal name Daystar Peterson) who shot Megan in the foot in July of 2020, following a verbal altercation in the car. Bott also presented texts Megan’s former best friend Kelsey Harris (who was in the car with Peterson and Pete at the time) sent to Pete’s bodyguard Justin Edison minutes after the shooting, which read: “Help,” “Tory Shot Meg,” and “911.”

Despite Harris and Pete’s now estranged friendship, Bott tells the court the former will take the stand in defense of Pete.

“Kelsey, she’ll tell you she didn’t know if the defendant still had this gun,” Bott said, per Rolling Stone. “She didn’t know what the defendant was capable of, if he was going to continue his assault. Her defensive instincts kicked into gear, and she approached the defendant. She’ll tell you the defendant physically assaulted her at that point. He pulled her by her hair, and he either punched her or slapped her.”

The prosecution also showed a text message Peterson sent to Pete shortly after the shooting, which read: “I know you’re probably never going to talk to me again, but I genuinely want you to know I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. I was just too drunk. Nonetheless, shit should have never happened, and I can’t change what did. I just feel horrible because I genuinely just got too drunk.”

Additionally, Bott revealed that Pete’s bodyguard Edison will also take the stand during the trial.

“Justin will tell you that the defendant admitted much of what he admitted in the call and the text, that he was the triggerman that night, that he did the shooting. But he said he was just shooting in the air, and shooting at the ground. But importantly, he told Justin he was the person who fired the gun,” Bott said.

In Peterson’s defense, defense attorney George Mgdesyan said in front of the court: “Jealousy, this case is about jealousy.” He attests that the altercation was the result of jealousy between Harris and Pete over their relationships with Peterson, and it was in fact Harris who shot the gun.

Upon Peterson’s arrest in July 2020, he was charged on a concealed firearm charge. However, this was later upped to include charges for assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. Earlier this month, prosecutors added another felony charge for discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner. If convicted, Peterson could face over 20 years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

“I thought we had a real connection,” Pete said of Peterson in an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this year. “I thought he knew me. And I never would’ve thought he would’ve shot at me at all.”

She added, “I never put my hands on this man. I never did anything to him. There was an argument. People argue every day. Friends argue every day.”

An onslaught of disinformation surrounding the trial has circulated online, boosted by Peterson himself. He was previously taken into custody for violating the protective order over Pete, which bars him from harassing her or sharing details of the case with outside parties. Nonetheless, she’s become the target of misogynoir and vitriol online for pressing charges against Peterson.

“In some kind of way, I became the villain,” Megan told Rolling Stone. “And I don’t know if people don’t take it seriously because I seem strong. I wonder if it’s because of the way I look. Is it because I’m not light enough? Is it that I’m not white enough? Am I not the shape? The height? Because I’m not petite? Do I not seem like I’m worth being treated like a woman?”

Pete herself is reportedly set to take the stand in the Los Angeles court as soon as later today.