Hearing did not include DNA evidence to vindicate rapper charged in Megan Thee Stallion shooting

A high-profile court case where one rapper stands accused of shooting another is the subject of social media speculation.

A viral Feb. 23 post on Facebook says, "It was revealed in court a few moments ago that Tory Lanez DNA WAS NOT found on the weapon in the Meg Thee Stallion case." The post is a screenshot of a Feb. 23 tweet by DJ Akademiks, which has since been deleted from Twitter.

The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

At a Feb. 23 pre-trial hearing for Lanez — charged in the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion — no one said that his DNA was not found on the weapon.

A transcript from the hearing indicates that Lanez’s attorney said, "We are in the process of actually retaining an expert with respect to DNA," according to a tweet by Rolling Stone reporter Nancy Dillon. "It is our hope that we will be able to review and confirm the (Los Angeles Police Department’s) analysis, which from our standpoint was favorable."

But the "precise nature" of the LAPD analysis and its results were not disclosed or described, Dillon wrote in a follow-up tweet. "There is a discovery protective order on this case, so it's not public."

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office told a news organization, "We believe the evidence substantially supports the charges and allegations and that evidence will be borne out in court."

Featured Fact-check

TikTok posts

stated on December 9, 2024 in social media posts

Video shows CEO homicide suspect Luigi Mangione posted YouTube videos teasing his plans

Lanez is charged with one count of assault with a semiautomatic handgun and one count of carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle.

In July 2020, Megan, whose real name is Megan Pete, attended a party at Kylie Jenner’s house with Lanez, and later that night, Megan was shot. Initial reports indicated conflicting information about what had unfolded.

"The Los Angeles police have not named a suspect or explained her injuries in detail," the New York Times reported in late July 2020. "The police would not even confirm whether the injuries were gunshot wounds." In October 2020, Lanez was charged in connection with the shooting.

A Facebook post says, "It was revealed in court" on Feb. 23, 2022 "that Tory Lanez DNA WAS NOT found on the weapon in the Meg Thee Stallion case."

At a Feb. 23 pre-trial hearing for Lanez no one said that his DNA was not found on the weapon.

Lanez’s attorney said they were in the process of retaining a DNA expert, and that the LAPD had done a DNA analysis. The nature and results of that analysis were not disclosed.

We rate this claim False.