Tory Lanez Sues US Prison System for $170M Over Inmate Stabbing

Rapper Tory Lanez has filed a federal lawsuit against the California prison system, seeking $100 million in damages after being stabbed 16 times by a fellow inmate in an alleged unprovoked attack last year.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and prison officials at the Tehachapi facility, claims Lanez — whose legal name is Daystar Peterson — should never have been housed with inmate Santino Casio, who has a history of violent offenses including a life sentence for second-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder.

According to the legal filing, Casio attacked Lanez on May 12, 2025, using a homemade “shank” to stab him 16 times in the back, torso, head, and face. The assault resulted in a collapsed lung, requiring Lanez to be airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment.

The suit alleges that prison officials were negligent in housing the two men together despite Lanez’s high-profile celebrity status, which the lawsuit claims made him a target. It further states that correctional officers responded slowly to the attack and failed to deploy special measures such as flash grenades or smoke bombs to stop Casio.

Lanez is currently serving a 10-year sentence stemming from his December 2022 conviction for shooting hip-hop artist Megan Thee Stallion in the feet following a highly publicized trial in Los Angeles. His appeal was rejected in November 2022.

Following the incident, Lanez was transferred to another facility, the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo County. The lawsuit also claims that prison officials unlawfully seized his personal songbooks containing unpublished lyrics and have refused to return them, citing their potential future commercial value.

There is no public record indicating that Casio has been charged in connection with the attack on Lanez. An attorney who previously represented Casio did not respond to requests for comment at the time of reporting.

The case highlights ongoing concerns about inmate safety and classification protocols within the California prison system, particularly for high-profile individuals. Lanez’s legal team argues that the failure to separate him from a known violent offender constitutes a breach of duty by correctional authorities.