Rihanna's house was shot at by a notable suspect
A suspect with an AR-15, bail of more than 1.8 million dollars, and the family leaving Los Angeles as quickly as possible. The shooting at Rihanna's house in Beverly Hills is becoming more concerning by the day, and the developments are anything but reassuring. This is what is currently known.
Many more shots than initially thought
What was initially reported as ‘around seven shots’ now turns out to be much more severe. According to the police, as many as 36 bullets were fired at Rihanna's house in Beverly Hills. The singer was home on Sunday afternoon, along with her boyfriend A$AP Rockey, her mother, three young children and two staff members. Fortunately, despite the hail of bullets, no one was injured. The damage is unmistakable: holes in the fence and the camper in the driveway. Two houses next to the white villa were also hit. Shortly after the violence, the police closed off the street and combed through everything.
Suspect quickly tracked down by helicopter
The police did not have to search for long. Thanks to a LAPD helicopter, officers were able to follow the white Tesla from which the shooter fired. After about half an hour, the driver was arrested without fuss in a parking lot at a shopping center, about twelve kilometers away. The suspect turns out to be Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, a 35-year-old woman from Florida. An AR-15-like rifle was found in her car, along with several empty casings. Not exactly trunk essentials.
Arrested woman risks life in prison
The case is also becoming legally heavier. Ortiz faces fourteen charges, including attempted murder. If found guilty, she will spend the rest of her life behind American bars. If Ortiz does not want to follow her trial from a cell, she must first put up more than 1.8 million dollars in bail. That's quite a bit of saving. According to American media, Ortiz worked as a speech therapist and was active online as a Bible influencer. This is not her first contact with the authorities: in 2023 she received a criminal record for domestic violence in Florida.
Police stalks social media in search of motive
What makes the story even stranger are the videos Ortiz posted earlier on social media. In them, she regularly spoke about various celebrities, including Rihanna. In a video from two months ago, she even said: “She is the one who wants to kill me.” Those videos have certainly caught the police's attention. Detectives are looking at her videos to determine what was going through her mind. This is not the first time Ortiz has surfaced with a notable action: she previously tried to block a Billie Eilish concert through the courts. Without success, but still.
Rihanna packs bags and leaves LA
After the incident, Rihanna seems unwilling to take any risks. Shortly after the shooting, orange suitcases were rolled out of her house, a moment that paparazzi naturally captured immediately. The singer has since left Los Angeles with her family. Whether this is temporary or for a longer period will have to be seen. Rihanna and A$AP have not yet commented on the shooting.
Meanwhile, the question remains why Ortiz opened fire on the villa of one of the biggest pop stars ever. The police are now diving deep into her online tracks. Hopefully, a motive will emerge. One thing we know for sure: this is far from the kind of visit Beverly Hills was waiting for.
