Rapper Megan Thee Stallion shot after being told to dance, US court hears

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Canadian rapper Tory Lanez was ordered to stand trial in California on Tuesday (Dec 14) after he allegedly told fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion to dance before shooting at her feet.

Megan was in an SUV after driving away from a Hollywood party hosted by media personality Kylie Jenner in July 2020 when she and Lanez got into an argument, a court in Los Angeles heard.

A bikini-clad Megan demanded to be let out of the Cadillac and then heard Lanez shout "dance, b***h" as he opened fire with a handgun, Los Angeles Police Department Detective Ryan Stogner told a judge.

Megan, 26, told police she was "bleeding profusely" from her feet and that she fell to the ground and crawled to a nearby driveway.

Lanez, 29, then "emphatically apologised for what he did" and offered to drive her home, the court heard, with Megan later telling officers he had offered her money not to say anything about the shooting.

Police responding to reports of a shooting later stopped the vehicle and took Megan to hospital, where she initially told doctors she had hurt her feet on broken glass.

Several bullet fragments were removed from her feet, but some remain and she told the detective that she had difficulty walking in certain shoes.

The Savage (2020) singer told Mr Stogner she was "scared (Lanez) was going to get in trouble", but later alleged that he had shot her.

Investigating officers found four spent bullet casings at the scene of the alleged shooting.

Megan subsequently posted a video to Instagram Live in which she said: "Tory shot me. You shot me and you got your publicist and your people... lying... Stop lying."

Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, has denied wrongdoing.

"I have all faith in God to show that ... love to all my fans and people that have stayed true to me & know my heart ... a charge is not a conviction," he wrote on Twitter last year.

He also addressed the claims on his fifth album, Daystar (2020), wondering how someone could get "shot in your foot... don't hit no bones or tendons?"

Lanez was charged in October 2020 with one count each of assault with a semi-automatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He faces more than 22 years in jail if convicted.

At Tuesday's hearing, a judge refused a defence application to dismiss the charges. Lanez is on bail and set to be arraigned on Jan 13.