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Rihanna home shooting update: Suspect Ivanna Lisette Ortiz used AR-15-style rifle; bizarre Facebook post surfaces
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, was arrested for shooting an AR-15-style rifle at Rihanna's home. The shooting occurred while Rihanna was inside.
A woman accused of shooting at the Los Angeles home of the pop star Rihanna used an AR-15-style rifle, per the law-enforcement officials investigating the incident that occurred in the Beverly Hills-area neighborhood.
Police say the suspect, identified as Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, allegedly fired multiple rounds toward the singer’s home on Sunday afternoon before fleeing the scene. Authorities later arrested her and recovered the weapon, officials said.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed that Rihanna was inside the home at the time of the shooting, but no injuries were reported.
Read more: Who is Ivanna Ortiz? Rihanna LA house shooting suspect identified
Ivanna Ortiz used an AR-15-style rifle
LAPD said Ortiz fired between seven and nine rounds at the property using an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle, striking parts of the residence and nearby structures.
Police responding to the emergency call arrived shortly after the gunfire was reported around 1:20 p.m. at the home located on Heather Road in the Beverly Crest neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Authorities later located Ortiz roughly 30 minutes after the shooting at a shopping center in Sherman Oaks, where she was taken into custody without further incident.
Investigators recovered the AR-15-style rifle from the suspect’s vehicle and collected shell casings from the scene as part of the ongoing probe.
According to reporting cited by The Guardian, the AR-15 is “one of the most popular firearms in the U.S.”, with about 25 million in civilian hands.
The rifle has been used in several high-profile mass shootings, including attacks in Sandy Hook, Orlando, Las Vegas and Parkland. Another AR-15 was used in the assassination attempt of President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania in 2024.
Semi-automatic weapons, such as the AR-15, have been at the center of political discussions over gun laws and firearm regulation in the United States due to their involvement in high-profile shootings.
Read more: Is Rihanna OK? Shots fired at singer's Beverly Hills mansion; woman arrested
Bizarre Facebook post
On February 23, the suspect posted a bizarre message addressing the singer.
"@badgalriri Are you there? Cause I was waiting for your AIDS 5-head self to say something to me directly instead of sneaking around like you talking to me where I'm not at," she wrote.
Rihanna was reportedly inside the house during the shooting
Authorities said Rihanna was inside the home during the attack. It was not immediately clear whether her partner, A$AP Rocky or their three children were present at the time.
The LAPD spokesperson confirmed that authorities found bullet holes in a gate at Rihanna’s home and in an RV parked in the driveway.
A neighbor of Rihanna told NBC that she was shocked by the loud sounds of gunfire in their remote neighborhood while she was doing the dishes. She said, “I was a little shocked. We don't hear this kind of thing in this neighborhood. It's pretty quiet.”
