MINNEAPOLIS — “He was a very good boy, you know.
Outside the Hennepin County Jail, Les Robinson spoke solemnly about the death of his 28-year-old son LeRas Rainey.
“He left the house very happy; he was going to see his friends. He told us he’d be home in a few hours. Robinson said he never came back. “He was a good boy.” He was a good kid. Everyone loved him. “Everyone loved LeRas.”
Les faced his son’s alleged killer, James Ortley, in court.
“I know he’ll never make it out. Many people wish him dead. “I wish I knew what he’s going through right now,” Robinson said.
Rainey was one of four people killed after being shot inside a vehicle last week. According to the criminal complaint, the victims knew Ortley and were family friends. Les claims that was not the case for his son.
“No, he did not know him,” Robinson stated.
According to police reports, Ortley was arrested in February on charges of aggravated robbery. As part of a crime spree that included a high-profile incident in which a group of burglars shot at an onlooker through a window, striking him in the face.
However, Ortley was not charged and was released after a 36-hour stay in jail.
Les believes this was a mistake.
“Just knowing his background, they should have kept him in,” Robinson told me.
Minneapolis police have identified the shooting as gang-related.
They claimed the shooting the next day, which killed one man, was related. Three people have been charged in that case, but their whereabouts have yet to be determined. The criminal complaint does not explain how it relates to Ortley’s alleged crimes.