Authorities have pinpointed the assailant accused of brandishing a homemade shank to stab incarcerated rapper Tory Lanez, revealing him as 41-year-old Santino Casio, a lifelong inmate serving a sentence for murder. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Casio reportedly launched his attack on Lanez, legally known as Daystar Peterson, at approximately 7:20 a.m. on Monday, within the confines of a housing unit at the California Correctional Institute in Tehachapi.
Peterson, himself serving a decade-long term for shooting fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion in 2020, was swiftly transported to an external medical facility for emergency treatment. As of Tuesday afternoon, prison officials confirmed that he was in stable condition.
An Instagram account purportedly belonging to Lanez revealed the grim details of the assault, stating that the Canadian artist, aged 32, had been stabbed an astonishing 14 times – seven wounds piercing his back, four penetrating his torso, two affecting the rear of his head, and one marking his face. Despite suffering from two collapsed lungs, Lanez was reportedly maintaining a positive outlook and "fighting through" his ordeal.
Meanwhile, Casio has been confined to restrictive housing while both prison authorities and the Kern County district attorney's office conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. Prior to his incarceration at the California Correctional Institute, following a transfer from Los Angeles County in 2004, Casio was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, using a deadly weapon, and causing substantial bodily harm.
During his time in prison, Casio's criminal record has expanded further, with an additional six-year sentence in 2008 for assaulting a fellow inmate with a deadly weapon and a subsequent two-year term in 2018 for possessing a prohibited weapon within prison walls.
In August 2023, Peterson was punished for shooting Grammy-award-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion, legally Megan Pete. His conviction in December 2022 stemmed from charges of assault with a firearm, illegal firearm possession, and negligent discharge of a weapon.
Moreover, the "Savage" hitmaker has accused Peterson of ongoing harassment from within prison, orchestrating his fans and online trolls to tarnish her reputation on the internet. In response, a Los Angeles judge granted Pete a restraining order against Peterson, which will remain in force until 2030.
