As the Tory Lanez criminal trial continues, a man who witnessed the alleged street-level shooting of Megan Thee Stallion took the stand on Tuesday.
A California man named Sean Kelly was called as a defense witness during the trial of rapper Tory Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, according to Rolling Stone. Kelly indicated that he saw a muzzle flash in the midst of an argument happening between two women, with a male who began “firing everywhere” shortly after.
Peterson is on trial for allegedly shooting Megan Thee Stallion, real name Megan Pete, in the feet on July 12, 2020, in Hollywood. He is charged with discharging a firearm with gross negligence, assault with a semiautomatic handgun and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle.
The defense team called Kelly to testify based on information he gave investigators in 2021. He stated that he saw an initial muzzle flash close to a woman’s hand during an alleged argument between Pete and her former friend and assistant, Kelsey Harris, near an open door of Peterson’s Cadillac Escalade SUV.
Kelly stated in court that he witnessed the incident while peering out his window at Nichols Canyon Road in Los Angeles just after 4 a.m. He said he saw a “quite violent” confrontation involving four people.
During his testimony, Kelly said that he believed he saw one of “the girls” fire the first gunshot, and that a “smaller gentleman” began to fire four or five shots after that, causing one of the women to fall bleeding. Kelly also said that the multiple figures, including two men, began to violently attack a female victim who was on the ground in the fetal position.
Despite seeing the flashes, Kelly was adamant that he “never saw a gun.” Peterson’s lawyer, George Mgdesyan, asked Kelly who the first flashes came from, and Kelly replied, “the girl.” He did elaborate, “But they were all together; they were very close together.”
Kelly couldn’t confidently say whether or not the shorter gentleman, whom he identified as Peterson (the taller man was identified as Jaquan Smith, Peterson’s driver), was inside the SUV or outside when the flashes began. Mgdesyan asked Kelly what happened next, whether Peterson tried to take the gun from the woman.
“I just saw he was very angry, shouting, and then the flashes then came from him,” Kelly replied, reiterating that he did not see a weapon. “They were all fighting, so I just assumed he grabbed the gun.”
Kelly continued his testimony, saying that the “short guy” was shouting a “torrent of abuse” and was “firing everywhere” when shooting the four or five shots after the first flash from one of the women.
Lanez is facing a maximum 22-year prison sentence if convicted.
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