Alleged Minneapolis gunman shot 5 in head, has links to Native Mob: Charges

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James Ortley has been charged in connection to the deadly mass shooting in Minneapolis on April 29, 2025. (Hennepin County Jail)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Court records indicate the alleged gunman in the Minneapolis mass shooting was a member of the Native Mob and fired while sitting in the car with the victims, shooting all five in the head.

An arrest warrant unsealed on Friday indicates 34-year-old James Duane Ortley is facing three counts of second-degree murder, two counts of attempted second-degree murder, and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office said an additional second-degree murder charge will be added since a fourth victim died on Thursday. 

Prosecutors filed a request on April 30 to seal the warrant until after it was executed, citing concerns that, "This case involves a gang-related execution shooting of five people…the presumptive sentence in this case will be extremely high, and the risks to witnesses and law enforcement, should Defendant know of this complaint, would include greatly." 

The U.S. Marshals North Start Fugitive Task Force and the FBI SWAT Team executed a search warrant on Thursday around 3:40 p.m. on the1600 block of South 4th Street, and took Ortley into custody. 

Details of mass shooting 

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What we know:

Just before midnight on Tuesday, police responded to a shooting along 25th Street near Bloomington Avenue. At the scene, officers found five victims – two men, two women, and a teen boy – inside a vehicle who had all been shot in the head. 

One of the victims told police there was a single shooter, identified as "Little James", "Baby J" and "Little J." The woman claims "Little James" was sitting in the rear-passenger seat and shot everyone inside before leaving the scene, the document claims.

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene, including a 27-year-old man, a 20-year-old woman, and a 17-year-old boy, police previously said. A 28-year-old man was transported to the hospital for a serious brain injury, and authorities said he has since died from his injuries. 

The woman sustained a "serious gunshot wound to [her] face" and was transported to the Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment. Her current condition is unknown. 

Ties to the mob

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Dig deeper:

The arrest warrant alleges Ortley and some of his family members are associated with the Native Mob – a criminal street gang which operates in south Minneapolis and other areas of the state. 

READ MORE: Minneapolis homicides: Shootings connected to gang violence within Native community

Court documents also indicate Ortley allegedly admitted that his street name was "Baby James" during an October 2023 interview with authorities for a separate homicide investigation.

What we don't know:

The arrest warrant does not indicate a motive for the shooting, but one of the victim's family members told police he was a "close family friend."

First court appearance 

What's next:

Ortley was taken into custody on Thursday and is scheduled to make his first appearance in Hennepin County court on Monday.

He has a previous conviction of second-degree assault, which prohibits him from possessing a firearm. 

What they're saying:

"This was a shocking spree of violence that tore at the fabric of our community," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. "Families have lost loved ones, and our neighbors will carry the scars of this violence, emotionally and physically, for the rest of their lives. I am grateful to the MPD investigators who worked tirelessly, in collaboration with our staff, to quickly bring this case against Mr. Ortley. We are committed to using every resource available to us to ensure that our community is protected from further violence."