The inmate claiming responsibility for the jailhouse stabbing of Tory Lanez has come forward with a motive behind the shocking attack, which left the music star hospitalized after sustaining fourteen stab wounds.
According to Santino Casio, who recently spoke to TMZ about the bloody incident, the motive behind the March prison stabbing stems from a rumor that Lanez had allegedly “put a bounty on his head.”
Casio, who was already serving a life sentence for an unrelated conviction, claims that after hearing about the bounty, he became increasingly paranoid.
Tory Lanez discusses his creative process during BMI’s How I Wrote That Song 2018 on January 27, 2018 in New York City.
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for BMI)
The two men, who were reportedly acquaintances and housed in neighboring cells, crossed paths soon after. Casio says that during the encounter, he noticed a bulge on Lanez’s person and suspected the rapper was carrying a weapon.
Fearing for his life, Casio launched into a violent assault, stabbing Lanez 14 times — including seven times in the back, four times in the torso, and three times in the head.
Despite the ferocity of the attack, Casio insists he “wasn’t trying to kill Tory,” and claims that he, too, was stabbed during the altercation.
Tory Lanez visits the SiriusXM Studios on March 2, 2018 in New York City.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM
He believes the injury supports his claim that Lanez may have been armed at the time.
Lanez was rushed to a local hospital following the attack and has since returned to the facility, where he is expected to continue his recovery under tight supervision.
In a statement, Tory Lanez’s legal team condemned the assault and denied any legitimacy to Casio’s claims. “The recent attempt on his life was savage and ferocious, underscoring the clear and present danger he faces while incarcerated,” his attorneys said.
In this handout photo provided by the California Department of Corrections, Tory Lanez, born Daystar Peterson, is photographed for a new booking photo at North Kern State Prison on September 19, 2023 in Delano, California.
California Department of Corrections via Getty Images
“Any claim to the contrary particularly from an individual serving a life sentence for heinous crimes is not only baseless but an absurd fabrication.”
His lawyers also renewed calls for his immediate release, citing the escalating threats to his safety. “His continued confinement is both a miscarriage of justice and a threat to his safety. He must be released immediately.”
Tory Lanez attends Rolling Stone Live Big Game Experience at Academy LA on February 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
Jerod Harris/Getty Images for MCM
In the aftermath of the attack, several figures have called for Lanez’s release due to questions surrounding his guilt in the 2020 shooting of rapper Megan Thee Stallion. The hitmaker was convicted of the crime in 2022 and sentenced to 10 years in prison the following year.
This includes Florida congresswoman Anna Pauline Luna, who has urged California governor Gavin Newsom to review the case, which has garnered headlines due to claims of new evidence potentially exonerating Lanez.
However, that alleged evidence — claims from a bodyguard that Megan Thee Stallion’s former friend, Kelsey Harris, shot Megan, and that new Ring Cam footage shows the incident clearly — was already presented in court.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 11: Tory Lanez attends Shaq’s Fun House presented by FTX at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on February 11, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
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