LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The woman at the center of a New Year’s shooting appeared in court Wednesday.
Police arrested 24-year-old Monteza Long on Tuesday. She is charged with wanton endangerment and discharging a firearm in city limits.
According to police, a fight broke out on West Main Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day. Moments later, shots rang out, sending dozens of people running.
While police were on scene, they were notified of a woman who was suffering from a gunshot wound at a local hospital. She reportedly had non-life-threatening injuries.
An arrest citation for Monteza Long reads in part, “Listed fired approximately seven gunshots from a handgun at the victim as he was fleeing the immediate area after a large disorder.”
In her arraignment Wednesday afternoon, Monteza pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In recent years, the suspect has gained a following as a local hip-hop artist. She goes by the name Pyrex Sosa in her music and has drawn a couple thousand followers to her YouTube page, even winning Best Female Rap Artist of 2023 at the Blueprint Awards, a local ceremony honoring Kentucky talent.
In some of her songs, Long references her late brother, Malcolm.
In 2022, Malcolm Long was shot and killed in Lexington, falling victim to the same violence that has Monteza Long behind bars now.
On January 12, Long will appear in court again. She is currently being held at the Fayette County Detention Center.
