Latest news with #NativeMob
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Minneapolis mass shooting charges: Gang member was 'close family friend' of victims he killed
Charges filed against the man accused in a Minneapolis mass shooting that left four people dead and one critically wounded state that the suspect was a friend of all the victims, and that he shot them all while sat in the same vehicle as them. Charges allege that James Ortley, 34, of Minneapolis, who goes by the street names "Baby James," "Baby J," "Little James," and "Little J," is a member of criminal street gang the Native Mob, which operates in south Minneapolis and other areas of Minnesota. He has been charged with multiple counts of 2nd-degree murder following the shooting in an alleyway at 15th Avenue South and 25th Street East just before midnight Tuesday. The criminal complaint against Ortley says two men and a woman died at the scene after being shot in the head. Another man and woman were critically wounded, with Minneapolis police confirming the 28-year-old man died at Hennepin County Medical Center on Thursday. One of the victims, referred to as "Victim 5," told police before being taken to HCMC that "Little James" was sitting in the rear-passenger seat when "he shot everyone inside the vehicle." Ortley, who was wearing all black clothing, then allegedly fled the scene on foot. Two family members of one of the victims told police that all five victims were together at a family friend's home in south Minneapolis earlier in the evening but left at 9:30 p.m., with one of the victims saying they were going to pick up "Baby J," who was "known to be a close family friend to the victims." Hennepin County Jail Police were able to interviewed Victim 5 again on Wednesday morning, and they confirmed there was a single shooter and that the shooter was "Little James." The victim positively identified Ortley as the shooter when shown a picture by police. U.S. Marshals and an FBI SWAT team U.S. Marshals arrested Ortley at a property in the 1600 block of South 4th Street Thursday. Ortley had come to the attention of police in a separate homicide investigation dating back to October 2023, during which he was interviewed by officers and admitted his street name was "Baby James." The criminal complaint does not specify a motive for Ortley, but Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara has said this week he believes the shooting was "targeted" and may be gang-related. The mass shooting sparked a possible retaliatory shooting three blocks away on the 2100 block of Cedar Avenue South on Wednesday afternoon, which left a man dead. Another fatal shooting was reported on Wednesday evening at Lake Street and 15th Avenue South, but police don't believe it's connected. While the victims have not all been officially identified, police have said they are members of the Native community. Two have been named by FOX 9 as identical twin sisters Maleice and Merelle White, with Merelle killed and Maleice the sole surviving victim still hospitalized.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Five killed during 24 hours of violence in Minneapolis are identified
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Five of the six people killed during a deadly 24 hours of violence in Minneapolis have been identified by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner. Four people died when a man, whom prosecutors allege was Native Mob member James Ortley, opened fire while inside a vehicle at 15th Avenue South and 25th Street East shortly before midnight on Tuesday. The three victims who died at the scene in the incident have been identified as follows: Joseph Goodwin, 17, of Minneapolis, who died of gunshot wounds to the head and neck. Evan Denny, 27, of St. Paul, who died of multiple gunshot wounds. Merelle White, 20, of Red Lake, who died of a gunshot wound to the head. A fourth person, identified online as 28-year-old Leras Rainey, was confirmed to have died of his injuries on Thursday at Hennepin County Medical Center. White's twin sister, Maleice, was also in the vehicle when the shots rang out, suffered critical injuries and remains hospitalized. MPD Chief Brian O'Hara at the scene of the shooting Tuesday Police Department Charges filed against Ortley on Friday allege he was inside the vehicle with all five victims when he opened fire. He was described as a "close family friend" of the victims. Most of the victims in the Tuesday mass shooting are members of the Native American community, with police saying the incident was "targeted" and believed to be gang related. The man fatally shot in a potentially retaliatory attack on the 2100 block of 17th Avenue South on Wednesday afternoon has been identified as 34-year-old Tiago Gilbert, a Native American who lives in Minneapolis. No arrest has been made in his killing at this time. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner also identified Derrick Ewing, 51, of Minneapolis, as the man killed after being shot at Lake Street and 15th Avenue South on Wednesday evening. Police say this shooting was not connected to the other two.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Bail is set at $2 million for a man charged with killing four people in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The father of one of four people killed in a mass shooting that shook the Native American community in Minneapolis said Monday that it will take a long time to heal. Les Robinson said his 28-year-old son, LeRas Francis Rainey, seemed happy when he and some friends went to see James Duane Ortley last Tuesday. But prosecutors allege that Ortley, 34, shot Rainey and four other people in a car, killing all but one of them, in what investigators believe was a gang-related attack that later led to a retaliatory killing. The charges against Ortley, of Minneapolis, were updated Monday to four counts of second-degree murder, one count of second-degree attempted murder, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ortley, who was wearing a green suicide-prevention suit, said little during a hearing in which his bail was set at $2 million. The judge scheduled his next hearing for June 25. His lawyer didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. Prosecutors allege that Ortley was in the vehicle with the five victims late Tuesday when he shot each in the head. Investigators believe someone else killed a fifth person about 13 hours later and a few blocks away. According to the criminal complaint, Ortley and members of his family are associated with the Native Mob gang, which operates in Minneapolis and other parts of Minnesota. Authorities identified the three who died at the scene of the first shooting as Evan Ramon Denny, 27, of St. Paul; Joseph Douglas Goodwin, 17, of Minneapolis; and Merelle Joan White, 20, of Red Lake. Rainey died at a hospital Thursday. A 20-year-old woman who was shot in the face survived and helped police identify Ortley as a suspect. Authorities have given no details of a possible motive. But they allege in the complaint that Ortley was a friend or associate of at least one or more of the victims, who were at a family friend's Minneapolis home on the night of the shootings before they left with plans to pick up Ortley. Robinson, of Minneapolis, told reporters he was there when his son and the others went out that night. He said his son 'left the house real happy. Like he's going to go visit his friends, and told us he'll be home in a couple hours. Never came back.' Robinson said he had heard nothing more solid than rumors about what led to the shootings. Officials say all of the victims were Native American. Robinson, a member of the Red Lake Nation, said there's 'a lot of sorrow' now in the local Native community. 'It's a lot of frustration and all that,' he said. "It's just (going to) take a long time to heal this situation.' Asked what justice would look like for Ortley, Robinson replied: 'What he's going through now, I know he's never going to get out of there." After law enforcement arrested Ortley at a Minneapolis apartment Thursday, a search turned up a .380-caliber firearm that was concealed under a sweatshirt and hidden under a coffee table, the updated complaint said. The gun matched multiple bullets and shell casings found at the scene, it said. The medical examiner identified the victim of the second shooting as Tiago Antonio Gilbert, 34, of Minneapolis. Police Chief Brian O'Hara said Thursday it was 'entirely probable' that Wednesday's shooting was revenge for the first. But investigators were still working Monday to determine a link.
Winnipeg Free Press
05-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bail is set at $2 million for a man charged with killing four people in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The father of one of four people killed in a mass shooting that shook the Native American community in Minneapolis said Monday that it will take a long time to heal. Les Robinson said his 28-year-old son, LeRas Francis Rainey, seemed happy when he and some friends went to see James Duane Ortley last Tuesday. But prosecutors allege that Ortley, 34, shot Rainey and four other people in a car, killing all but one of them, in what investigators believe was a gang-related attack that later led to a retaliatory killing. The charges against Ortley, of Minneapolis, were updated Monday to four counts of second-degree murder, one count of second-degree attempted murder, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ortley, who was wearing a green suicide-prevention suit, said little during a hearing in which his bail was set at $2 million. The judge scheduled his next hearing for June 25. His lawyer didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. Prosecutors allege that Ortley was in the vehicle with the five victims late Tuesday when he shot each in the head. Investigators believe someone else killed a fifth person about 13 hours later and a few blocks away. According to the criminal complaint, Ortley and members of his family are associated with the Native Mob gang, which operates in Minneapolis and other parts of Minnesota. Authorities identified the three who died at the scene of the first shooting as Evan Ramon Denny, 27, of St. Paul; Joseph Douglas Goodwin, 17, of Minneapolis; and Merelle Joan White, 20, of Red Lake. Rainey died at a hospital Thursday. A 20-year-old woman who was shot in the face survived and helped police identify Ortley as a suspect. Authorities have given no details of a possible motive. But they allege in the complaint that Ortley was a friend or associate of at least one or more of the victims, who were at a family friend's Minneapolis home on the night of the shootings before they left with plans to pick up Ortley. Robinson, of Minneapolis, told reporters he was there when his son and the others went out that night. He said his son 'left the house real happy. Like he's going to go visit his friends, and told us he'll be home in a couple hours. Never came back.' Robinson said he had heard nothing more solid than rumors about what led to the shootings. Officials say all of the victims were Native American. Robinson, a member of the Red Lake Nation, said there's 'a lot of sorrow' now in the local Native community. 'It's a lot of frustration and all that,' he said. 'It's just (going to) take a long time to heal this situation.' Asked what justice would look like for Ortley, Robinson replied: 'What he's going through now, I know he's never going to get out of there.' After law enforcement arrested Ortley at a Minneapolis apartment Thursday, a search turned up a .380-caliber firearm that was concealed under a sweatshirt and hidden under a coffee table, the updated complaint said. The gun matched multiple bullets and shell casings found at the scene, it said. The medical examiner identified the victim of the second shooting as Tiago Antonio Gilbert, 34, of Minneapolis. Police Chief Brian O'Hara said Thursday it was 'entirely probable' that Wednesday's shooting was revenge for the first. But investigators were still working Monday to determine a link.
Associated Press
05-05-2025
- Associated Press
Bail is set at $2 million for a man charged with killing four people in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The father of one of four people killed in a mass shooting that shook the Native American community in Minneapolis said Monday that it will take a long time to heal. Les Robinson said his 28-year-old son, LeRas Francis Rainey, seemed happy when he and some friends went to see James Duane Ortley last Tuesday. But prosecutors allege that Ortley, 34, shot Rainey and four other people in a car, killing all but one of them, in what investigators believe was a gang-related attack that later led to a retaliatory killing. The charges against Ortley, of Minneapolis, were updated Monday to four counts of second-degree murder, one count of second-degree attempted murder, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ortley, who was wearing a green suicide-prevention suit, said little during a hearing in which his bail was set at $2 million. The judge scheduled his next hearing for June 25. His lawyer didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. Prosecutors allege that Ortley was in the vehicle with the five victims late Tuesday when he shot each in the head. Investigators believe someone else killed a fifth person about 13 hours later and a few blocks away. According to the criminal complaint, Ortley and members of his family are associated with the Native Mob gang, which operates in Minneapolis and other parts of Minnesota. Authorities identified the three who died at the scene of the first shooting as Evan Ramon Denny, 27, of St. Paul; Joseph Douglas Goodwin, 17, of Minneapolis; and Merelle Joan White, 20, of Red Lake. Rainey died at a hospital Thursday. A 20-year-old woman who was shot in the face survived and helped police identify Ortley as a suspect. Authorities have given no details of a possible motive. But they allege in the complaint that Ortley was a friend or associate of at least one or more of the victims, who were at a family friend's Minneapolis home on the night of the shootings before they left with plans to pick up Ortley. Robinson, of Minneapolis, told reporters he was there when his son and the others went out that night. He said his son 'left the house real happy. Like he's going to go visit his friends, and told us he'll be home in a couple hours. Never came back.' Robinson said he had heard nothing more solid than rumors about what led to the shootings. Officials say all of the victims were Native American. Robinson, a member of the Red Lake Nation, said there's 'a lot of sorrow' now in the local Native community. 'It's a lot of frustration and all that,' he said. 'It's just (going to) take a long time to heal this situation.' Asked what justice would look like for Ortley, Robinson replied: 'What he's going through now, I know he's never going to get out of there.' After law enforcement arrested Ortley at a Minneapolis apartment Thursday, a search turned up a .380-caliber firearm that was concealed under a sweatshirt and hidden under a coffee table, the updated complaint said. The gun matched multiple bullets and shell casings found at the scene, it said. The medical examiner identified the victim of the second shooting as Tiago Antonio Gilbert, 34, of Minneapolis. Police Chief Brian O'Hara said Thursday it was 'entirely probable' that Wednesday's shooting was revenge for the first. But investigators were still working Monday to determine a link.
