Woman charged with attempted murder over shooting at Rihanna’s home
A 35-year-old woman from Orlando, Florida, has been charged with attempted murder after a shooting at the home of global superstar Rihanna.
The woman, named Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, has been accused of firing a semiautomatic rifle at the Los Angeles abode at 1:15pm local time on March 8th.
Ortiz reportedly drove up to the house and fired at it multiple times before fleeing the scene. No one was injured in the shooting; however, according to the BBC, Rihanna and her partner A$AP Rocky were at home at the time.
Ortiz’s white Tesla was found approximately eight miles from the singer’s home at the Sherman Oaks Galleria shopping centre. There, the woman was taken immediately into custody.
Sergeant Jonathan de Vera, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department, shared initially: “When they pulled the suspect over and took her into custody, they searched the vehicle and located an assault rifle and seven casings.”
Ortiz faces multiple other charges, including ten felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and three felony counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper.
Consequently, she is being held on bail set at $1.875 million. The woman also faces a possible life sentence, if found guilty.
The immediate motive for the attack is not yet clear. However, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J.Hochman has reassured locals that “This careless violence will not be tolerated in our community. Such shooters will find their next destination to be our jails and prisons.”
Hochman added, “Opening fire in any populated neighbourhood is extremely dangerous, puts lives at risk and will be fully prosecuted.”
Rihanna has not yet spoken publicly about the incident. She recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of her album Anti at the end of January; despite still being a hugely influential figure in the pop sphere, she has not released any new music since.
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