By Our Correspondent
National News – A 35-year-old Orlando woman, Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, has been charged with attempted murder following a shooting at the Los Angeles home of global pop superstar Rihanna.
The incident occurred at around 13:15 local time (21:15 GMT) on Sunday, when Ortiz allegedly fired a semiautomatic rifle at the mansion. Remarkably, no one was injured during the attack.
Authorities have set Ortiz’s bail at $1.875 million (£1.395m), and she faces a potential life sentence if convicted.
Prosecutors report that Ortiz drove up to Rihanna’s residence and fired multiple rounds before fleeing the scene.
Her white Tesla was later found eight miles (12 km) away at the Sherman Oaks Galleria shopping centre, where police arrested her.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman emphasized the danger of firing a weapon in a populated neighbourhood, warning that “such shooters will find their next destination to be our jails and prisons.”
At the time of the shooting, both Rihanna and her partner A$AP Rocky were at home, along with their three children, and there were neighbours in nearby properties.
Ortiz faces multiple felony charges, including ten counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling.
Police investigations revealed a series of social media posts referencing Rihanna, including messages on X in which Ortiz appeared to seek direct contact with the singer.
Surveillance footage from the day after the attack shows suitcases being moved from Rihanna’s mansion.
Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, gained worldwide fame in the 2000s with chart-topping hits such as Umbrella and Pon de Replay.
She shares three children with A$AP Rocky, who in February last year was found not guilty in a separate firearms trial that drew media attention with the couple’s children present in court.
The case has sparked significant public concern about celebrity safety and neighbourhood security.
