Convicted killer Santino Casio, who is suspected of stabbing Tory Lanez in prison, claimed he attacked him as he thought the rapper had a bounty on his head and felt ‘threatened’
The man suspected of stabbing Tory Lanez in prison has claimed he acted in self-defense as he feared the rapper had a weapon and might want to attack him.
Santino Casio, a 41-year-old convicted killer who is serving a life sentence for murder, is accused of knifing the hip hop artist at a housing unit at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi earlier this month. The rapper, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence for shooting fellow musician Megan Thee Stallion in 2020, was rushed to the hospital after being knifed 14 times.
In a call from prison, Casio didn’t deny the stabbing but claimed he heard “rumors” that Lanez had a bounty on him and, shortly after, he ran into the rapper who appeared to have a suspicious lump in his pocket. Casio said he thought Lanez might have a weapon so he decided to attack him.
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Speaking to TMZ on the phone, Casio said, “I heard some rumors that he was trying to put money on my head. He felt uncomfortable living next to me. He said I was a threat. So I confronted him and then I found out the same thing, they said he’s trying to put money on my head.”
He claimed they had “a little discussion” but shortly after Lanez said some “crazy s—” at night. The following morning, Casio said he sat down with Lanez and talked to him – but when he made his way back to his cell, he noticed that the rapper was in fact walking towards his door.
“He stood in front of my cell, looked at his boys, made a little smirk,” Casio claimed. “And when he showed me what he had and stuffed it in his pocket, I just rushed him.” When asked what object Lanez showed him, Casio replied, “What he showed me looked to me like, I believed it to be a weapon at the time.
“So I rushed him and I snatched him, I just took advantage of him. I just threw him all over. I just kept slamming him and stabbing him.” Casio claimed he didn’t want to kill Lanez but “felt threatened” as he thought he had seen a weapon.
Responding to TMZ’s interview with Casio, Lanez’s legal team described the attack as “savage and ferocious” while calling for the rapper to be released from prison “immediately.” A statement posted on Lanez’s official Instagram page on May 12 detailed the extent of his injuries, “Tory was stabbed 14 times – including 7 wounds to his back, 4 to his torso, 2 to the back of his head, and 1 to the left side of his face. Both of his lungs collapsed, and he was placed on breathing apparatus. He is now breathing on his own.
“Despite being in pain, he is talking normally, in good spirits, and deeply thankful to God that he is pulling through. He also wants to thank everyone for their continued prayers and support,” the statement added, and was captioned with a praying hands emoji and an umbrella emoji.
The Mirror US has reached out to Tory Lanez’s legal representative for comment.
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