The woman accused of firing 20 rounds from an AR-15-style rifle at Rihanna Los Angeles home has been declared mentally competent to stand trial. On September 29, 2026, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Maria Cavalluzzi reinstated criminal proceedings against Ivanna Lisette Ortiz after reviewing a psychiatric evaluation submitted six days earlier.
“Based on the evidence, the court finds the defendant is presently competent to stand trial,” Judge Cavalluzzi said. Ortiz, who appeared in the courtroom and was reportedly smiling at times during the ruling, pleaded not guilty the following day to a 14-count grand jury indictment that includes attempted murder.
The ruling clears the way for a trial that could send Ortiz to prison for life. Prosecutors allege she drove a white Tesla from Orlando, Florida, to Rihanna’s Beverly Crest residence on March 8, 2026, pointed a rifle out of the vehicle, and fired at the property while Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, their three young children, Rihanna’s mother, and several staff members were inside.
No one was physically injured. But bullets struck an Airstream trailer where Rihanna and Rocky were present, and hit the exterior wall of a nursery where their children were with a nanny. Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott said outside the courtroom: “This is a person who wanted to kill Rihanna.”
Rihanna Shooting Suspect Fit for Trial After Months of Psychiatric Evaluation
Ortiz’s criminal case had been suspended earlier in 2026 after questions arose about her mental competence to stand trial. She was referred to mental health court for psychiatric evaluations.
The details of those evaluations remain sealed. What is publicly known is that Dr. Phani Tumu submitted a report on September 23, 2026, and that neither the prosecution nor the defense challenged its findings. Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott and Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman both told the court they did not contest the report.
Judge Cavalluzzi’s ruling formally reinstated the case. Ortiz is scheduled to return to court on October 29 for her next hearing.
The competency question was significant because it had paused the entire case for months. Without a ruling that Ortiz could understand the proceedings and assist in her own defense, the trial could not move forward. Now that the question is settled, the prosecution can proceed with its case against her.
Ortiz remains in custody on $1.875 million bail.
Rihanna home shoting suspect Ivanna Ortiz ruled mentally fit to stand trial for attempted murder, faces up to life in prison 👀 https://t.co/WETyiEbIZK
— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) September 29, 2026
What Happened at Rihanna’s Home on March 8, 2026
The shooting took place on a Saturday afternoon at approximately 1:21 p.m. at Rihanna’s residence in the Beverly Crest neighborhood, a hillside area just north of Beverly Hills.
According to the police report and prosecutors, this is what happened:
A woman driving a mud-covered white Tesla Model 3 with a paper license plate pulled up across the street from the property. A witness, described as a chef arriving for her first day of work, was parked outside the residence at the time and saw the vehicle.
The driver, later identified as Ortiz, pointed an AR-15-style assault rifle out of the vehicle and fired approximately 20 rounds toward the property and a neighboring residence. The rifle was later found on the passenger-side floorboard of the Tesla, covered by a purple blanket.
Four bullets struck the Airstream trailer parked in the driveway where Rihanna and A$AP Rocky were present. Rocky was sleeping in the trailer when Rihanna heard sounds she initially mistook for metal banging. Once she realized what was happening, she pushed Rocky to the ground and told him, “They shooting at us.”
Bullets also hit the exterior wall of the home’s second-floor nursery, where the couple’s three children, Rza, Riot, and Rocki, all under the age of five, were with a nanny.
Rihanna’s mother and several household staff members were also inside the main house.
Rihanna then moved with Rocky into the house to check on their children and staff. Everyone was accounted for. No one was hit.
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How Ivanna Ortiz Was Arrested and What She Told Police
Witnesses reported seeing a white Tesla with a paper license plate leaving the scene. An LAPD helicopter located the vehicle, and officers arrested Ortiz in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley, roughly 30 minutes after the shooting.
She was wearing a blonde wig at the time of her arrest. The loaded AR-15, covered in a purple blanket, was sitting on the passenger-side floorboard of the Tesla. Officers also recovered seven shell casings from the vehicle.
When arrested, Ortiz reportedly told investigators: “I wasn’t attempting murder.”
She was booked shortly after 2 a.m. on suspicion of attempted murder. Bail was initially set at $10.2 million before being reduced to $1.875 million. She has remained in custody since her arrest.
The judge also barred Ortiz from practicing speech pathology during the criminal proceedings. California’s Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology petitioned the court for that order.
The 14-Count Grand Jury Indictment
On June 18, 2026, a Los Angeles County grand jury returned a 14-count indictment against Ortiz. The indictment was sealed until September 30, when it was unsealed following the competency ruling.
The charges:
| Count | Charge | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Attempted murder | Involving Rihanna |
| 2-11 | Assault with an assault weapon (10 counts) | One count for each person on both properties at the time |
| 12-13 | Shooting at an inhabited dwelling (2 counts) | Rihanna’s home and a neighboring residence |
| 14 | Shooting at an inhabited vehicle | The Airstream trailer |
The indictment names Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s three children, Rza, Riot, and Rocki, as victims. It supersedes the original charges filed against Ortiz in March, which also included attempted murder and over a dozen other felonies.
Ortiz pleaded not guilty to all 14 counts on September 30, 2026. She appeared in court in a yellow jail uniform with a waist shackle and entered her plea through her public defender.
If convicted, Ortiz faces up to life in prison.
Who Is Ivanna Ortiz and What Led to the Shooting
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz is 36 years old. She is originally from West Chicago, Illinois, and was living in Orlando, Florida, at the time of the shooting. She attended the University of Central Florida and worked as a licensed speech-language pathologist for over a decade, owning the Orlando Speech Clinic.
Prosecutors have not announced any known personal connection between Ortiz and Rihanna. No formal motive has been disclosed.
But a social media trail tells part of the story. In the months before the shooting, Ortiz posted increasingly erratic content on Facebook and YouTube that referenced Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Cardi B, and other celebrities.
On her Facebook page, she tagged Rihanna directly and wrote, “Are you there? Cause I was waiting for your… self to say something to me directly instead of sneaking around.” In another post, she claimed Rihanna wanted to kill her.
On YouTube, Ortiz posted over a hundred videos in which she read from a prayer journal. In at least three videos, she went on tangents about Rihanna, calling her “a devil” in one. In a January 4, 2026, video titled “Praying Woman’s Journal, Day 39,” she addressed the singer directly and said, “Listen, Rihanna. When you die, God is taking me to my future.”
According to a CNN investigation published on September 8, 2026, friends and family say Ortiz’s behavior changed around 2021. Before that, she was described as a loving mother who took her daughter to the movies, sang in a church choir, and preferred Christian music over secular artists.
Ortiz had been previously involuntarily committed in Florida and had lost custody of her then-10-year-old child, TMZ reported. Florida court records also show a 2023 arrest on suspicion of domestic violence and battery involving her former husband. She had a bankruptcy case in 2013 and a careless driving arrest in 2021.
She also filed a legal petition attempting to stop a Billie Eilish concert in Florida, naming Live Nation Worldwide and the city of Orlando as respondents.
How Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Have Responded
Neither Rihanna nor A$AP Rocky has made a public statement about the shooting.
A source close to Rihanna told People magazine in March that the singer “heard the shots, but was initially confused about what happened.” The source added that once Rihanna realized the property was under fire, she alerted Rocky and moved quickly to check on the children.
Aerial footage taken after the shooting showed bullet holes in the gate of the property. Security personnel were seen rushing bags into SUVs.
Rihanna, whose legal name is Robyn Fenty, purchased the Beverly Crest home in December 2020. She shares the property with her longtime partner, Rakim Mayers (A$AP Rocky), and their three children. The couple has been together since 2020, and their children were born in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The indictment’s inclusion of the children’s names as victims underscores how close the shooting came to causing serious harm, even though no one was physically hit.
What Happens Next in the Case
With the competency ruling settled and the grand jury indictment unsealed, the case now moves toward trial.
Ortiz is scheduled to return to court on October 29, 2026. That hearing is expected to address pretrial motions, scheduling, and any additional evidence-related matters.
Key questions going forward:
Motive. Prosecutors have not publicly named a motive. Deputy DA Bott has described the shooting as calculated and said Ortiz intended to kill Rihanna, calling everyone else “collateral damage.” But no personal link between the two women has been established. The social media posts suggest an obsession, but whether that rises to the level of a provable motive in court remains to be seen.
Defense strategy. Ortiz’s public defender did not challenge the competency finding, which suggests the defense is unlikely to pursue an insanity plea at this stage. Her statement to police at the time of arrest, “I wasn’t attempting murder,” could become a point of contention at trial.
Rihanna’s testimony. Whether Rihanna will be called to testify has not been confirmed. Her account of pushing Rocky to the floor and warning him that “they shooting at us” is already part of the police report. If the case goes to trial, her testimony could be central to the attempted murder charge.
Sentencing exposure. The 14-count indictment carries a potential life sentence. If convicted on all counts, Ortiz could face decades in prison even without a life term, given the number of assault charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ivanna Ortiz charged with in the Rihanna shooting case?
Ortiz faces a 14-count grand jury indictment that includes one count of attempted murder involving Rihanna, 10 counts of assault with an assault weapon (one for each person on the properties), two counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling, and one count of shooting at an inhabited vehicle. She pleaded not guilty to all charges on September 30, 2026.
Was anyone injured in the shooting at Rihanna’s home?
No. Despite approximately 20 rounds being fired, no one was physically harmed. Bullets struck an Airstream trailer where Rihanna and A$AP Rocky were present and the exterior wall of a nursery where their children were with a nanny.
Why was Ivanna Ortiz’s trial delayed?
The case was suspended after questions about Ortiz’s mental competence arose. She was referred to mental health court for psychiatric evaluations. On September 29, 2026, Judge Maria Cavalluzzi ruled that Ortiz is mentally competent to stand trial, reinstating the case.
What was the motive for the Rihanna shooting?
Prosecutors have not formally announced a motive or any personal connection between Ortiz and Rihanna. Social media posts allegedly made by Ortiz in the months before the shooting included direct references to Rihanna, including calling her “a devil” and saying, “When you die, God is taking me to my future.”
Who is Ivanna Ortiz?
Ortiz is a 36-year-old licensed speech-language pathologist from Orlando, Florida. She owned the Orlando Speech Clinic, attended the University of Central Florida, and had no prior criminal record related to violent felonies before the shooting. Her behavior reportedly changed around 2021, and she began posting increasingly erratic content on social media in the months leading up to the incident.
When is Ivanna Ortiz’s next court date?
Ortiz is scheduled to return to court on October 29, 2026. That hearing will address pretrial matters as the case moves toward a potential trial.
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Last Updated on October 5, 2026 by 247 News Around The World
