Crime
James Ortley charged in Minneapolis mass shooting that left 4 dead, 1 injured
His arrest comes just months after he was briefly detained in February as a suspect in a violent robbery spree in Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis police have arrested a suspect in connection with a mass shooting earlier this week that claimed four lives and left one other critically injured.
The arrest was announced Thursday night by Police Chief Brian O’Hara during a press conference.
The suspect, 34-year-old James Ortley, was taken into custody around 3:30 p.m. by the U.S. Marshals Service.
He is currently facing multiple counts of second-degree murder in connection with the shooting, which occurred late Tuesday night near the intersection of Bloomington Avenue South and East 25th Street in the city’s Phillips neighborhood, within Ward 9.
Ortley was also wanted on a federal warrant for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to officials.
His arrest comes just months after he was briefly detained in February as a suspect in a violent robbery spree in Minneapolis.
At that time, he was held for two days before being released without charges.
Tuesday’s mass shooting was the first of six separate shooting incidents reported in a violent 24-hour span across the city that left at least six additional individuals injured.
Investigators are working to determine whether any of these incidents are connected.
Authorities do not believe Tuesday’s shooting was random and are continuing to investigate the possibility that other individuals were involved.
Four victims — two men and one woman — were pronounced dead at the scene.
They have since been identified as:
- Leras Rainey
- Evan Denny, also known as Ramone Day
- Maleice White, also known as MJ White
- Joey Goodwin
One other individual — a 24-year-old woman transported to a local trauma center with life-threatening injuries.
The woman sustained a gunshot wound to the face but was reported to have stable vital signs.
According to police, four of the victims were found inside a vehicle at the scene, while a fifth victim — an adult male — was discovered on the sidewalk nearby.
Chief O’Hara confirmed that while officers were responding to the shooting, they heard additional gunfire in the area, approximately five blocks away.
Although no further victims were found at that secondary location, physical evidence of gunfire was recovered, underscoring ongoing safety concerns in the vicinity.
“This was not a random act of violence,” Chief O’Hara said, noting that early investigative findings indicate the victims were likely targeted and that the incident may be gang-related.
“The city is grieving,” O’Hara continued. “After a relative period of peace — the longest we’ve seen in over five years — that calm has been shattered. There are families suffering tonight. This is an absolutely senseless tragedy.”
He also spoke about the emotional toll on officers and first responders. “Family members were wailing at the scene. That’s always hard — when there is one victim, it’s heartbreaking. When there are multiple victims, it’s devastating.”
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
AUSTIN, Texas — A man was taken into custody Saturday afternoon following a shooting inside the Austin Central Library that left one person seriously injured and prompted a large emergency response and temporary shelter-in-place order in the downtown area.
According to the Austin Police Department (APD), officers responded shortly after 12:00 p.m. to reports of gunfire inside the Austin Central Library, located at 710 W. César Chávez Street.
Upon arrival, police and Austin-Travis County EMS units found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
The individual was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
Assistant Police Chief Lee Rogers stated during a press briefing that the shooter fled the scene before officers arrived.
After an extensive search, the suspect—identified as 55-year-old Harold Newton Keene—was located and arrested in South Austin at approximately 1:25 p.m.
The library was safely evacuated, and the shelter-in-place alert was lifted shortly after Keene’s apprehension.
Authorities emphasized that the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident involving only one suspect and one victim.
“This was not an active shooter situation,” Rogers confirmed.
Preliminary reports and public records reveal that Harold Newton Keene has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple arrests for assault, family violence, terroristic threats, burglary, drug possession, and evading arrest.
He is described by law enforcement officials as a habitual violent offender who has had numerous prior run-ins with police.
Records indicate Keene was previously arrested for threatening a man with a firearm several months ago and, in a separate incident, assaulted another inmate while in custody at the Travis County Jail.
In both cases, prosecutors later declined to pursue charges.
Authorities have not yet released a possible motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect and victim knew each other.
The Austin Police Department’s Major Crimes Division is leading the investigation.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the Austin Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS.