Canadian rapper Tory Lanez has been handed a 10-year prison sentence by a Los Angeles judge following his conviction for shooting US artist Megan Thee Stallion. The incident took place during a heated altercation after a Hollywood party, where Lanez fired multiple shots at Stallion as she stood on the road, reportedly ordering her to “Dance, bitch.”

Lanez’s conviction in December included charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, discharging a firearm with gross negligence, and carrying an unregistered firearm in a vehicle. Prosecutors had sought a 13-year sentence, highlighting the physical and emotional harm caused to Stallion, known for her hit song “WAP.”

Throughout a lengthy sentencing hearing that commenced on Monday, Judge David Herriford considered over 70 letters in support of Lanez, including those from celebrity friends like Iggy Azalea. Despite these pleas for leniency, the judge ultimately ruled that Lanez must serve a decade behind bars. While aggravating factors were acknowledged, the crime was not found to exhibit a high degree of cruelty.

The incident unfolded in July 2020, when Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, was in a car with Lanez, his bodyguard, and her friend Kelsey Harris following a party at Kylie Jenner’s residence. The court learned that an argument erupted in the vehicle, with Stallion demanding to be let out. It was during this altercation that Lanez reportedly aimed a gun at Stallion and fired, uttering the words, “Dance, bitch.”

Megan Thee Stallion, known for her hit song “Savage,” testified during the trial that the incident had subjected her to unwarranted scrutiny and backlash within the male-dominated rap industry. In a statement read in court, she expressed the ongoing trauma caused by the shooting, asserting that Lanez had not only physically harmed her but also made light of her suffering.