Earlier this month, a 42-year-old inmate at the California Correction Institution in Tehachapi allegedly stabbed Tory Lanez 14 times. The news broke the internet with fans showing deep concern for the rapper’s safety, who is serving a 10-year sentence on charges related to Megan Thee Stallion’s July 2020 shooting. In the latest stabbing development, The Shade Room has obtained exclusive video footage of Santino Casio attacking Lanez and photos of the bloody aftermath.
Editor’s Note: The following content contains depictions of graphic violence and injuries and may be triggering.
RELATED: Statement Reveals Tory Lanez’s Condition After He Was Reportedly Stabbed 14 Times In Prison (UPDATE)
Video Shows Santino Casio Stabbing Tory Lanez Near Stairs
In a 39-second video TSR obtained, Tory Lanez is seen leaving a cell, but lingering near its entrance. It’s unclear if any conversation was happening between the rapper, Santino, or anyone else because only general prison sounds can be heard. However, the clip shows Lanez walking towards nearby stairs before a man, now known as Casio, rushes him. The stabbing seems to begin with Tory on his feet, though he quickly falls to the floor. About 21 seconds into the clip, Casio is above Tory, continuing a stabbing motion while the rapper kicks his feet and attempts to get away. Lanez kept screaming, “Oh God” throughout the attack. Eventually, the artist escaped by running down the stairs and out of the camera’s view before the video cuts off. At this time, it appears no one intervened in the attack despite Tory Lanez’s screams.
Editor’s Note: The following content contains depictions of graphic violence and injuries and may be triggering.
EXCLUSIVE: The Shade Room obtains exclusive footage of Tory Lanez’s prison stabbing. #TSRStaffBD pic.twitter.com/RCV7cYdPe3
— TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) May 28, 2025
Additionally, The Shade Room also obtained still images of the aftermath of Tory Lanez’s stabbing. In one photo, he looks shocked with splashes of blood covering his face. A second photo shows his shirtless upper body and grey pants covered in dripping blood.
To view graphic photos in a separate tab, click HERE.
According to AP, the prison is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Los Angeles in the mountains of the Mojave Desert and houses about 1,700 medium- and maximum-security inmates.
More Details About Tory Lanez’s Stabbing Aftermath
After the incident, a prison spokesperson revealed that Santino stabbed Tory Lanez at about 7:20 a.m. local time, per the Associated Press. The May 12 attack became public knowledge amid a report from TMZ and a social media statement from the rapper’s team that same day. The post claimed Lanez was punctured 14 times, leading to both of his lungs collapsing. However, the statement also clarified he was breathing independently after receiving aid inside the prison, and follow-up medical treatment at an outside hospital. “…He is talking normally, in good spirits, and deeply thankful to God that he is pulling through,” the team statement said.
Who Is Santino Casio?
In the days after the prison stabbing, more details came to light about the attacker, Santino Casio. For example, the 42-year-old was already serving a life sentence for murder before stabbing Tory Lanez. Additionally, Casio has a conviction for another in-prison assault with a deadly weapon. Immediately after the incident with Lanez, prison officials placed Casio in restricted housing pending an investigation.
Santino Casio has been in the facility where the incident occurred since 2004, after he was sentenced to life, with parole possible, for convictions of second-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder. In 2008, he was sentenced to six more years for the assault of a prisoner with a deadly weapon. In 2018, he was sentenced to two more years for possession and manufacture of a deadly weapon by a prisoner.
Less than a week ago, Santino Casio reportedly told TMZ that he believed Tory Lanez had “put a price on his head.” Casio said he had heard the rumors through the “prison grapevine.” On the morning of the attack, the 42-year-old claims he saw a “suspicious lump” in Tory’s pocket, which he thought was a weapon. Casio admitted to attacking Tory Lanez first out of alleged self-defense. Casio also reportedly told the outlet that he had a “decent relationship” with the rapper before the stabbing.
Rapper’s Team Is Fighting For His Release, But Megan Thee Stallion Isn’t Here For It
Also worth noting, Megan Thee Stallion aired out Tory Lanez and his legal team in a social media post last week. Her fiery words, including calling the convicted rapper a “demon,” followed Tory’s team citing “new evidence” in the closed shooting case. In a press conference after the stabbing, his legal defense identified bodyguard Bradley James as a new witness. James alleges that he overheard a phone conversation in which Kelsey Harris, his former employer, admitted to shooting at Megan three times before Tory allegedly intervened. Bradley did not speak at the conference.
Meanwhile, U.S. Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna has joined efforts to free Tory Lanez. Last week, Luna launched a social media campaign asking California Governor Gavin Newsom to pardon the rapper, citing evidence discrepancies and constitutional concerns. A judge previously rejected a motion for a new trial, but his lawyers continue to appeal the conviction, per Luna.
Tory Lanez’s trial included:
– Prosecutorial misconduct
– Exclusion of mitigating factors
– Use of protected speech (rap lyrics, tattoos) as evidence
– Witness contradictions
– Immunity deals with unclear motives
This is not how justice is supposed to work.— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) May 20, 2025
As mentioned, Megan didn’t bite her tongue while verbally dragging Tory Lanez in her TikTok post. She doubled down on naming him the shooter in the 2020 incident. Additionally, she called him out for harassing her post-conviction, despite choosing not to take the witness stand in his case. Her legal team has since released a breakdown of why they believe the “new evidence” from Tory’s defense is nothing to get riled up over.
Hours before The Shade Room obtained video of the prison stabbing, a new episode of TSR Investigates dropped. It features interviews of Megan’s legal defense, Marie Hayrapetian, and Janet Shamlian, once again shutting down “conspiracy theories” about the shooting case. Take a look below:
RELATED: Megan Thee Stallion Slams “Demon” Tory Lanez & His Legal Team’s Claim Of New Evidence In Closed Case: “YOU SHOT ME”
The Shade Room Social Manager, Brianne Deville, first reported this exclusive. Associated Press Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton also contributed to this report.
