Hennepin County Attorney’s Office charges James Ortley with three counts of second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree attempted murder; will amend to add a fourth second-degree murder charge

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has charged James Duane Ortley, 34, with three counts of second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree attempted murder, and one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm in a complaint that was unsealed after he was taken into custody by the United States Marshal Service, Minneapolis Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A fourth second-degree murder charge will be added due to the death of a fourth victim Thursday.

“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.”

On April 29, Minneapolis Police responded to a shooting, finding five victims. Three were pronounced dead at the scene while two others suffered life-threatening injuries. One of the injured victims died on May 1.

Case Number: 27-CR-25-10694

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