Convicted killer is named as suspect in prison stabbing of rapper

An inmate who allegedly knifed hip-hop artist Tory Lanez inside a US prison is a convicted killer, say prison officials.

The Canadian rapper was rushed to hospital after being stabbed 14 times on Monday morning at a housing unit at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi.

The prisoner suspected of the attack, Santino Casio, 41, is serving a life sentence for murder, officials told the BBC. They said he has been placed in “restricted housing” pending an investigation into the attack on Lanez, 32.

The rapper, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, is serving a 10-year prison sentence for shooting fellow musician Megan Thee Stallion in 2020.

Casio arrived at the Tehachapi institution from Los Angeles County jail in February 2004.

“He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder, first degree attempted murder, personal use of a dangerous or deadly weapon, and inflict [sic] great bodily injury,” said a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

Casio has added to his criminal record during his incarceration, the statement added.

In January 2008, he was sentenced to six years for assaulting a fellow prisoner with a deadly weapon.

In 2018, he was sentenced to another two years for possessing a deadly weapon.

Casio’s alleged attack left Tory Lanez with wounds across his body, causing both of his lungs to collapse, according to a post on the rapper’s Instagram account.

He was stabbed in the back, torso, head and face, and had to temporarily be placed on a breathing apparatus, the Instagram post added.

“Despite being in pain, he is talking normally, in good spirits, and deeply thankful to God that he is pulling through,” the post said.

Lanez was sentenced in 2023 for three felony gun-related charges, including assault with a semi-automatic firearm.

He shot Megan Thee Stallion, whose legal name is Megan Pete, as they were leaving a pool party at reality star Kylie Jenner’s Hollywood mansion.

Lanez had seven US top 10 albums in the seven years before his conviction. He has teased the release of a new album from prison titled Peterson.