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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.
Epoch Times
03-05-2025
- Epoch Times
Minneapolis Shooting Suspect Charged in 4 Homicides
MINNEAPOLIS—Six people who all knew each other were inside a vehicle when one, a man with an alleged gang connection, shot each of them in the head before fleeing, according to newly unsealed criminal charges in this week's shooting in Minneapolis. Three victims died at the scene early Tuesday. Another succumbed to his wounds Thursday. One remains hospitalized after being shot in the face but was able to identify the shooter to police, according to the criminal complaint. And investigators believe a fifth person was killed hours later in retaliation. A suspect in the first shooting was arrested Thursday and has been charged with murder. Police say the victims were all Native Americans and the shooting was gang-related. What Do We Know About the Victims? The first shooting happened on Tuesday just before midnight in a vehicle parked in the diverse residential and commercial neighborhood of Phillips in south Minneapolis. The county medical examiner's office on Friday said the three who died at the scene were Evan Ramon Denny, 27 of St. Paul; Joseph Douglas Goodwin, 17, of Minneapolis; and Merelle Joan White, 20, of Red Lake. Two had been shot multiple times. A 20-year-old woman was shot in the face and hospitalized in critical condition, the complaint said. She said the shooter was sitting in the back seat when he opened fire on her and everyone else in the vehicle before fleeing on foot. A 28-year-old man was hospitalized in grave condition but died shortly after the suspect was arrested on Thursday, police said. That victim's name was still being withheld Friday. Second Shooting the Next Day About 13 hours later and a few blocks away, a man was killed near an apartment building that happens to house the Minneapolis office of the Red Lake Nation, one of the state's largest tribes. The medical examiner identified him Friday as Tiago Antonio Gilbert, 34, of Minneapolis. He died of multiple gunshot wounds. Related Stories 5/2/2025 4/30/2025 The Minneapolis police chief said Thursday it was 'entirely probable' this second shooting was revenge for the first. But a police spokesman, Sgt. Garrett Parten, said investigators were still working to determine if there was a link. Police have released few other details about that homicide. Police Say the Shootings Were Gang-Related The complaint against James Duane Ortley, 34, of Minneapolis, alleges that he and members of his family are associated with a gang known as the Native Mob, which operates in the city's south and other parts of Minnesota. The gang was the subject of a multiyear federal investigation over a decade ago that resulted in the convictions of 28 people. Its alleged leader at the time was sentenced in 2014 to 43 years in prison. Suspect Now Charged With Murder The U.S. Marshals Service said its local fugitive task force and an FBI SWAT team arrested Ortley on Thursday afternoon. He was charged a day earlier with second-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ortley has a felony assault conviction on his record from 2021, which the complaint said prohibits him from possessing guns or ammunition. Court records show he completed his probation in 2023. When police interviewed him in 2023 in a separate homicide investigation, the complaint said, he acknowledged that his street name was 'Baby James.' Ortley remained jailed Friday, and court records didn't list an attorney who could comment on his behalf. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday. The chief public defender for Hennepin County, Michael Berger, said his office probably won't learn if it's representing Ortley until Monday. Messages were left with several potential relatives of Ortley's. What Was the Suspect's Relationship to the Victims? The victim who survived told police the shooter went by the street names 'Baby J,' 'Little J,' and 'Little James,' and was a friend of one of the victims, according to the complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court. Relatives of one victim told police that the victims were all together at a family friend's residence in Minneapolis but left around 9:30 p.m. with plans to pick up 'Baby J,' who was known to be a 'close family friend' of the victims. The family member identified 'Baby J' as the defendant. Other law enforcement sources told investigators that Ortley was 'an associate' of more than one victim, the complaint said. A surveillance video was consistent with the survivor's account, the complaint said. It shows one person matching Ortley's description exiting the vehicle and fleeing before police arrived. Motive Still Unknown The complaint gave no details on what might have prompted the shootings. 'This is a bittersweet day,' Police Chief Brian O'Hara said in a statement Friday. 'While this arrest represents meaningful progress toward justice, that progress is overshadowed by the heartbreaking loss of another life. Our thoughts remain with the victims' families, their loved ones, and a community that continues to grieve.'
02-05-2025
Minneapolis police arrest a man they believe shot and killed 3 people
MINNEAPOLIS -- Authorities arrested a 34-year-old man Thursday in connection with the fatal shootings of three people in Minneapolis, and the city's police chief said it's likely another person was killed the next day in retaliation. Police have said that the four people killed and two others seriously wounded in the multiple shootings were Native American, and authorities strongly suspect the shootings were gang-related. However, Police Chief Brian O'Hara said during a news conference Thursday that authorities are still investigating the motives behind the shootings. The shootings shook a large Indigenous community south of downtown Minneapolis. A 20-year-old woman, a 17-year-old boy and a 27-year-old man were killed in Tuesday's shootings, and a 28-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman were taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. A 30-year-old man died in Wednesday's shooting. The first shooting took place just before midnight Tuesday. O'Hara said it's 'entirely probable' that the second shooting with a single victim was a response to the three deaths, and he said someone else was responsible. It occurred about 1 p.m. Wednesday a little more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) to the northeast outside an apartment building housing the Minneapolis offices of the Red Lake Nation tribe. 'But beyond that, I can't speculate further about some ongoing beef,' O'Hara said. The police chief said police believe the shootings are gang related based on the 'lived experience' of the people in the area. The U.S. Marshals Service said its local fugitive task force and an FBI SWAT team arrested the suspect in the multiple shootings Thursday afternoon. He was being held in the Hennepin County jail and had not been charged as of Thursday evening.
