Alleged gang member charged in Minneapolis mass shooting that killed 4, injured 1
An alleged gang member has been charged with multiple counts of murder in a mass shooting in Minneapolis that left four people dead and a fifth injured.
James Ortley, 34, faces four counts of second-degree murder, one count of attempted second-degree murder and one count of prohibited possession of ammo or a firearm, according to court documents filed Wednesday. U.S. Marshals arrested Ortley on Thursday. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday.
The shooting occurred late Tuesday night on the 1500 block of East 25th Street. Three people died at the scene — a 20-year-old woman, a 27-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy. Two more people were hurt and hospitalized, and one of them — a 28-year-old man — died of his injuries on Thursday, according to police and family.
According to a criminal complaint, all five victims were found in or near a vehicle and all had been shot in the head. One of the victims was conscious and communicative when police arrived. They told officers the shooter was a friend of one of the victims, and they had all been sitting in the car together before he started shooting. They also said the shooter went by the street names "Baby J," "Little J" and "Little James."
Multiple witnesses told investigators Ortley used those street names, and police uncovered an interview from a previous homicide investigation in which Ortley admitted to using the street name Baby James, the complaint states.
The victim who originally spoke with police later identified Ortley as the shooter via photograph, according to the complaint. Surveillance video confirmed the victim's account of the shooting.
Tuesday evening's mass shooting was the beginning of a spree of violence in Minneapolis that, in all, resulted in six deaths and three injuries. Police noted that all the victims who died in the Phillips area were Native Americans, and were likely targeted. Investigators are working to determine if the shootings were connected.
Police believe there are other individuals who were involved in the shooting, and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
The complaint alleges Ortley and some of his family members are part of the Native Mob, a Minneapolis gang.
Ortley made his first court appearance on May 5. A judge set his bail at $2 million and scheduled his next hearing for June 25, court records show.
Ortley connected to February crime spree in Minneapolis, attorney says
According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, Ortley was one of four people arrested in connection with a Minneapolis crime spree that left two men injured in February. Officials say he was booked on charges of second-degree assault and aggravated robbery.
Days after the arrest in February, Ortley's charges were dismissed with the attorney's office citing a lack of evidence.
"At that point, I was pretty upset, and I thought to myself, 'Why the hell was this person getting released?'" said Boyd Hansen, who was shot during February's crime spree. "There's a little bit of guilt in me also. The guilt was, 'Could I have done something else to keep him in jail? Is there any other thing that I could have done to prevent all this because I'm directly involved?'"
Ultimately, Hansen says he's frustrated police had to arrest the same person twice. He wants Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty to hear his message.
"Your present system of catch and release is not working. Something needs to change," said Hansen. Something has to start changing fast. People are getting injured. People are dying."
