Megan Thee Stallion‘s friend is set to testify that she saw Tory Lanez fire the gun that injured the rapper, according to prosecutors at the felony assault trial that opened in Los Angeles yesterday (December 12).
Lanez (real name Daystar Peterson) is accused of shooting Megan Pete in the foot in July of 2020 during a dispute that unravelled following a pool party at reality star Kylie Jenner’s house in California.
At the trial, which opened yesterday, prosecutors revealed that Pete’s friend Kelsey Harris – who was her best friend and assistant at the time – will offer a first-person account in which she will testify that she saw Lanez shoot Pete, as reported by Rolling Stone.
The outlet reports that there was uncertainty about Harris leading up to the trial, who had remained quiet over the past two years, and became estranged from the rapper.
“Kelsey will tell you that she just saw her close friend get shot by the defendant,” Los Angeles County Assistant District Attorney Alexander Bott told jurors in his opening statement.
He added that Harris rushed to Megan Thee Stallion’s side as she bled in a Hollywood Hills driveway.
“Kelsey, she’ll tell you she didn’t know if the defendant still had this gun. 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,” he continued. “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.”
Bott added that both Pete and Harris were “terrified” after the incident, telling jurors that the latter sent three critical messages to the Pete’s bodyguard Justin Edison in the five minutes after the shooting.
The first read “Help,” sent at 4:27 a.m, according to visuals shown in the courtroom. “Tory Shot Meg,” the second line read, followed by a third that said: “911.”
Earlier this month, Lanez was released from house arrest at a judge’s discretion in order to prepare for the trial. He was initially facing two charges – one count of assaulting Pete with a semiautomatic firearm and one count of carrying a concealed, loaded, and unregistered firearm in a vehicle. Lanez has pleaded not guilty to the the charges. Prosecutors then added a third charge of discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Bott also played a recording of five gun shots for jurors, and added that Pete will testify that Lanez shouted “Dance, bitch!” before opening fire.
Lanez’s defense lawyer, George Mgdesyan, urged jurors in his opening statement to keep an “open mind”, adding that no one beyond Pete reported hearing the phrase.
If convicted, Lanez faces a possible 22 years and eight months in prison, in addition to deportation since he is a Canadian citizen.
Lanez has pleaded not guilty to three felony charges in the case.
The post Megan Thee Stallion’s friend to testify that she saw Tory Lanez fire gun appeared first on NME.
