"Shots Fired" was universally lauded by critics, who praised Megan's response to Lanez's 2020 album Daystar, which also referenced the shooting.
On July 15, 2020, internet tabloid TMZ posted video footage appearing to show an injured Megan Thee Stallion in an incident involving the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
[1] After initial reports that the injury had been caused by broken glass on the floor of the car in which she was riding, Megan issued a statement clarifying that she "suffered gunshot wounds, as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me".
[9] Fellow rapper Rick Ross took to social media to rebuke Lanez for his album, saying "That ain't how you address the accusations you facing with the sister.
[13] The track references specific elements of the shooting, including the pellet and .22 caliber with which she was shot, her decision not to tell the police, and the money she and her friend were offered in exchange for their silence.
Justin Curto of Vulture said that the song is "a perfect reminder [...] that [Megan is] past the point of having to prove herself, or anything, to anyone", and called it "a diss track in line with a long lineage of greats".
[24] Writing for NME, Kyann-Sian Williams referred to "Shots Fired" as "a signal that Megan is not messing around", and that the song "suggests she's done with having her kindness taken for weakness".
[26] In a review for Stereogum, Tom Breihan said that Megan "just atomizes this motherfucker, clowning him for everything from his shallow social-media self-aggrandizement to his choice of weaponry".