The verdict in the Tory Lanez shooting trial is the hottest topic on the internet, and in the build-up to the jury’s decision, social media has been bombarded by fake news and eyebrow-raising developments from the jury room.
UPDATE: After a day of deliberations, Tory Lanez was found guilty on all charges.
Tory Lanez shooting verdict: Here’s what we know
What was supposed to be a five-day trial has stretched over two weeks and on Thursday, 22 December 2022, LA County prosecutors and Lanez’s defence rested after closing arguments, where both benches hammered home their respective perspectives to the jury.
George Mgdesyan, who represents Tory Lanez, was granted an extended period to deliver his closing remarks on Thursday morning since Judge David Herriford had cut into his time and ended court proceedings at 16:30 the day before.
In essence, the defence’s argument is that Tory Lanez was caught in the middle of a sexual relationship with two friends. Mgdesyan categorically pointed the finger at Megan’s former friend Kelsey Nicole Harris as the shooter and not his client.
Rebutting Mgdesyan’s closing remarks, Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta made it clear that the merits of this trial were not about sex or Kylie Jenner’s party, but about the gunshot injury Megan Thee Stallion sustained.
Following the remarks from both benches, the 12 jurors went into deliberation, and since then, the internet has been muddied with fake news.
Shortly after deliberations commenced, well-reputed rap gossip blogs like Say Cheese DTL, No Jumper and Gossip of the City Tea broke the internet with reports that the jury had reached a ‘not guilty’ verdict in the Tory Lanez shooting.
This verdict form which, according to Law and Crime reporter Meghann Cuniff, was passed around the hallways of the LA Superior Court by journalists, was misrepresented as the jury’s final decision on social media.
“Reporters are passing around the verdict form in the hallway. I think there’s confusion online because people see the top of one page and think that’s it, but jury has two pages for each charge: One for not guilty and one for guilty. This is the assault charge. No verdict yet,” Cuniff wrote in a tweet.
At this juncture, the jury deliberating the Tory Lanez shooting verdict has yet to surface with a final determination. In fact, according to an email sent to journalists by the LA Superior Court, after brooding over the definition of ‘willfully’ and ‘on purpose’ for the most part of Thursday’s deliberations, “jurors agreed to wait until tomorrow for a written response from the court.”
Jurors are expected to resume deliberations at 09:00 on Friday, 24 December 2022 (19:00 CAT).
Tory Lanez faces three charges in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting:
- Assault with a firearm
- Negligent discharge of a firearm
- Concealing an unregistered firearm in a vehicle.
If found guilty, Tory Lanez could be cuffed and immediately hauled to prison where, more than likely, he may face deportation to Canada.