Rihanna woke her partner, A$AP Rocky, inside an Airstream trailer on her Beverly Hills property when she heard what sounded like rapid gunfire piercing the afternoon.
She described the noise to the police as “10 bangs of metal,” and within seconds, she realized bullets were tearing through the windshield directly in front of where she’d been standing.
The March 8 moment shifted from confusion to pure survival instinct as she grabbed A$AP Rocky out of bed, told him “they were being shot at,” and pushed both of them to the ground for cover.
The couple scrambled to the garage to secure their three young children and staff members.
Rihanna mentioned to police that she’d received death threats on social media previously, but couldn’t recall any recent events that might connect to this attack.
Prosecutors say 35-year-old Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, a Florida resident, drove to the property with an AR-15 assault rifle, loaded ammunition, and a wig as a disguise.
She fired approximately 20 rounds at the home, and the case has drawn significant attention to celebrity security concerns.
If convicted, she faces life in prison.
During her court appearance on March 25, Judge Theresa McGonigle refused to reduce Ortiz’s bail, which remains set at $1.875 million.
The prosecutor argued that the high bail was necessary given the severity of the crime, noting that the shooting “could easily have resulted in multiple homicides of children and adults.”
The judge emphasized public safety concerns and cited evidence that Ortiz arrived at the scene with premeditation, carrying a loaded weapon and disguise.