Inmate Claims Self-Defense in Tory Lanez Prison Stabbing

Updated May 28, 2025

Santino Casio, the inmate who stabbed rapper Tory Lanez at⁣ the California Correctional Institution earlier this year, claims he acted out of fear. Lanez was hospitalized after‌ the incident with 14‍ stab wounds.

Casio told TMZ that he believed Lanez had put a bounty ‌on his head.”When someone’s got a target on you like that, it’s either you or them,” Casio said during a phone interview.

Casio, who is already serving a life sentence, said he and lanez ⁢were​ initially​ on‌ pleasant terms ‍as they ‌were housed in adjacent cells.Though,Casio claims he began hearing rumors that Lanez intended to harm him,leading to heightened paranoia and the eventual attack. The prison stabbing is the latest development in the Tory Lanez legal saga.

According‌ to Casio, the situation escalated when he ⁤believed Lanez was ​armed during an encounter.”He had something in his pocket. ‌It looked like a weapon,” Casio said. “I panicked. I thought he was about ‍to make a move.”

Casio said he reacted by stabbing ⁤Lanez multiple times in the back, torso, and head.He maintains he did not intend to kill Lanez, stating, “I just reacted.I was scared for my life. I even got stabbed too — in my leg.⁤ That’s how I know he had something on‍ him.”

“I heard Tory put ⁤a bounty on my head. When someone’s got a target on you like ‌that, it’s either you or them.”

Santino Casio

Lanez was hospitalized and has as been moved to⁤ a new facility in⁢ San Luis Obispo County with increased security. The incident has intensified debates surrounding his 2022 conviction for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in 2020.

Lanez’s legal team disputes Casio’s version of events. “The recent attempt on his‌ life was savage and ferocious,” they said in‍ a statement.‍ “Any claim to‌ the contrary,⁢ particularly from an individual serving a life sentence for heinous crimes, is not only baseless but an absurd fabrication.”

“The‍ recent attempt on his life was savage and ferocious. Any claim to the contrary,particularly from an individual serving a life sentence for heinous crimes,is not ⁣only ‍baseless but an absurd fabrication.”

Tory Lanez’s Legal Team

His attorneys ⁢are again calling for Lanez’s release, citing ongoing threats to his safety and claiming ‌his continued imprisonment ​is a “miscarriage of justice.” The Tory Lanez prison stabbing has raised concerns about his safety while incarcerated.

what’s next

The investigation into the prison ⁤stabbing is ongoing. Authorities are likely to review security protocols and interview other inmates and staff to ​determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.The legal ramifications for Casio, who is already serving a life‍ sentence, remain unclear.