The heart of Minneapolis is heavy with grief as the city mourns the loss of four lives in a devastating shooting that unfolded late Tuesday night near the intersection of 25th Street and Bloomington Avenue. The tragedy, which claimed three lives at the scene, has now claimed a fourth victim, a 28-year-old man who succumbed to his injuries in the hospital on Thursday. This wave of violence, described by authorities as the most severe incident in the city this year, has left the Native American community reeling, prompting a shift from planned celebrations to somber gatherings of prayer and reflection.
The initial shooting occurred just before midnight on Tuesday, when Minneapolis police responded to reports of gunfire in the Phillips neighborhood. Officers arrived to a grim scene: three individuals—a 27-year-old man, a 20-year-old woman, and a 17-year-old boy—were pronounced dead on-site. Two others, including the 28-year-old man who later died, were rushed to Hennepin Healthcare with life-threatening injuries. The brutality of the attack, which authorities believe was targeted and possibly gang-related, sent shockwaves through the community, shattering a period of relative calm in a city that had seen a 67% decline in homicides prior to this incident.
On Thursday afternoon, Minneapolis police announced a significant breakthrough in the case with the arrest of 34-year-old James Duane Ortley. The suspect was apprehended without incident in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood by a joint operation involving an FBI SWAT team and a U.S. Marshals Service task force. Ortley, who has a documented history of violent offenses, including robbery, assault, and illegal weapons possession, faces multiple counts of second-degree murder. He was booked into Hennepin County Jail on Thursday evening and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara called the arrest a “significant step forward” in what he described as an intense and fast-moving investigation, though he cautioned that others may have been involved in the shooting.
The tragedy deepened with two additional fatal shootings on Wednesday, further compounding the city’s grief. Around 1 p.m., a man in his 30s was killed outside an apartment building on the 2100 block of Cedar Avenue, just blocks from Tuesday’s massacre. Later that evening, at approximately 7:45 p.m., a man in his 50s was shot near Lake Street and 15th Avenue South. He was hospitalized but later died. While police believe the first two shootings are connected, they have stated that the third appears unrelated. Authorities have not released the names of the victims, but they have confirmed that those killed in the first two incidents were members of the Native American community, a detail that has amplified the pain felt in this close-knit group.
The Native American community, centered in the Phillips neighborhood, has been profoundly affected. Planned events to celebrate the start of American Indian Month on Thursday were canceled, replaced by a prayer and drum circle at Cedar Field Park, a short distance from the shooting sites. Community leaders expressed their sorrow and frustration, noting the systemic challenges that contribute to such violence, including poverty and lack of opportunities for young people. Tribal leaders from the Red Lake Nation, which lost three members in Tuesday’s shooting, announced increased security measures around their embassy and nearby housing complex, which was the site of Wednesday’s first shooting. The Minneapolis American Indian Center, less than a mile from the violence, issued a statement calling for unity and an end to the senseless loss of life.
Minneapolis officials have responded with a commitment to heightened police presence in the affected areas, with additional patrols aimed at restoring a sense of safety. Chief O’Hara and Mayor Jacob Frey have met with Native American leaders to coordinate a community response, emphasizing the need for collective action to address the trauma and prevent further violence. The city is also exploring support for trauma response services to aid those impacted by the shootings.
As the investigation continues, the city grapples with the weight of this tragedy. The loss of four lives in a single night, followed by two more deaths, has underscored the urgency of addressing the root causes of violence in Minneapolis. For now, the Native American community and the city at large stand together in mourning, seeking healing and justice in the wake of unimaginable loss.