Santino Casio, the convicted man accused of repeatedly stabbing Tory Lanez in prison, recently opened up about why he attacked the Canadian singer and rapper.
During a phone conversation with TMZ, Casio said he acted in self-defense after suspecting Lanez, 32, was trying to kill him as he had allegedly put a bounty on his head. Casio claimed he became aware of the said bounty the LUV singer had put on him through rumors circulated in their prison facility.
Casio and Lanez were inmates at the California Correctional Institution (CCI) in Tehachapi before the singer and rapper was ultimately transferred to the California Men’s Colony (CMC) in the wake of the May 12 stabbing.
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Casio claimed that not too long after hearing the rumors, he encountered Lanez and noticed that the Jerry Sprunger singer had a lump in his pocket, leading him to suspect the 32-year-old was armed with a weapon.
Casio claimed that though that was the reason he initiated the attack and stabbed Lanez multiple times, he did not intend to kill him. He also described the incident as unexpected because he and Lanez were initially on good terms while they were being held in adjoining cells at CCI, TMZ reported.
Casio told the entertainment news outlet that he suspected Lanez was armed with a weapon because he similarly sustained a stab wound. As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, Lanez was transferred to the California Men’s Colony because of safety reasons.
“The recent attempt on his life was savage and ferocious, underscoring the clear and present danger he faces while incarcerated. Any claim to the contrary particularly from an individual serving a life sentence for heinous crimes is not only baseless but an absurd fabrication,” Lanez’s legal team told the entertainment News outlet.
“His continued confinement is both a miscarriage of justice and a threat to his safety. He must be released immediately.”
READ ALSO: What we know about Tory Lanez’s prison attacker Santino Casio
His attorney, Crystal Morgan, said that despite suffering serious injuries, the Say It singer was on the mend. But Morgan stated that Lanez was not too pleased with his transfer from the California Correctional Institution.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, Lanez, born Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson, allegedly shot female rapper Megan Thee Stallion in the feet during an argument after they left a pool party hosted at reality star Kylie Jenner’s Hollywood mansion in July 2020. Megan, whose real name is Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, had to undergo surgery to remove bullet fragments from her foot following the shooting.
Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was found guilty on three gun-related charges in the shooting. He was convicted of three felonies: assault with a semi-automatic firearm; having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle; and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Lanez has, however, maintained his innocence, and his legal team is still pushing for his release from prison and trying to get California Governor Gavin Newsom to grant him a pardon. His legal team also claims they have discovered new and unsubstantiated evidence.
READ ALSO: Judge extends restraining order protecting Megan Thee Stallion from Tory Lanez until 2030
