A gruesome act of violence was committed in prison this week when inmate Santino Casio is said to have stabbed rapper Tory Lanez 14 times, causing shockwaves throughout the music world and beyond. The vicious assault, which took place on May 12, 2025, in the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi, left Lanez hospitalized with severe wounds and officials scrambling to determine the motivation for the assault.
The assault took place around 7:20 a.m. in a housing unit at the prison, according to a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Tory Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital after sustaining 14 stab wounds: seven to his back, four to his torso, two to the back of his head, and one to his face. The attack was so severe that it caused both of Lanez’s lungs to collapse, requiring urgent medical care.
As of today, May 14, 2025, Lanez is in fair condition, breathing independently, and in good spirits despite the ordeal, his team shared in a post on his official Instagram.
The 41-year-old inmate in this matter is already serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole for the offenses that he perpetrated in 2004. Casio has a history of violence that dates back to when he was found guilty of second-degree murder along with an attempted first-degree murder, possession of a deadly or dangerous weapon by a person, and inflicting significant bodily injury.
Casio’s time in prison has only added to his rap sheet: in 2008, he received a six-year sentence for assaulting another inmate with a deadly weapon, and in 2018, he was handed an additional two years for possessing or manufacturing a weapon behind bars. Following the attack on Lanez, Casio has been moved to restricted housing while the investigation continues, the CDCR confirmed.
So, what motivated Casio to allegedly go after Lanez? The answer is not yet known. The CDCR and the District Attorney’s Office of Kern County are investigating the motive, but no official motive has been released to this point.
On the internet and sites like X, fans and observers have wondered if celebrity status might have influenced Lanez, but nothing has been proven. A high-profile celebrity in the music world even as he’s serving a 10-year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in 2020, Lanez has stayed in the public light even behind bars.
The event has brought back into focus the safety of the inmates, particularly the ones under the limelight, at the California Correctional Institution in the town of Tehachapi. Lanez, set for parole consideration in 2029, faces the additional hurdle of getting over this traumatic experience behind bars.
As investigators continue to unearth more details regarding the events of this assault, the public is eager for some answers regarding what prompted such a brutal confrontation and how such an occurrence is going to be prevented in the future.
