3 charged in fatal shooting of man soon after separate shooting killed 4 in Minneapolis

Three men have been charged in connection with a fatal shooting last week in Minneapolis that came after a deadly shooting the previous night in the city and soon was followed by a sixth homicide on the South Side within a 20-hour span.

Charged late Friday in Hennepin County District Court with second-degree murder were Victor Joseph Vasquez-Rodriguez, 20, of Hayward, Wis.; and Jose David Vasquez-Rodriguez, 22, of Minneapolis, in connection with Wednesday’s shooting of Tiago Antonio Gilbert, 34, of Minneapolis.

Also charged with aiding an offender from arrest was Raphael Joseph Rodriguez, 35, of Columbia Heights.

All have yet to be apprehended as of Monday morning, and warrants have been issued for their arrests.

Police have said gang retaliation might have been behind Gilbert’s death, which came barely 12 hours after five people in a car were shot by a man with them in south Minneapolis.

Murder charges unsealed Friday allege that the accused shooter, James Duane Ortley, 34, of Minneapolis, killed four of the six, and say he and his family are associated with the Native Mob gang.

Gilbert’s family said in an online fundraising campaign that he was “a devoted father, a loving fiancé, and a cherished son, brother, and friend whose smile and warmth touched everyone he met. ... Tiago leaves behind young children and his fianceé, JoJo, who are heartbroken and grappling with this unimaginable loss.”

The posting added that Gilbert “was working on himself, and his family would like it to be made clear that he was not involved in gang activity. He had recently completed a nine-month treatment program and moved into housing. He had a job that he cared about.”

The last of the killings from the three shootings occurred about 7:45 p.m. Wednesday on 15th Avenue S. near E. Lake Street, where officers found Derrick Ewing, 54, of Minneapolis, with critical gunshot wounds. Emergency medical responders took him to HCMC, where he died.

Officials have announced no arrests or charges in Ewing’s death, nor have they said whether it might be gang-related.

According to the charges involving Gilbert’s death:

Officers arrived at the 2100 block of Cedar Avenue S. and found a wounded Gilbert down in the street. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 911 caller reported seeing a car fleeing the area and provided its license plate number. Officers soon found the car behind Raphael Rodriguez‘s home.

Surveillance video of the crime scene showed both Victor Vasquez-Rodriguez and Jose Vasquez-Rodriguez shooting Gilbert on the street. Gilbert ran, was shot again, and took more gunfire while on the ground. The two shooters and Raphael Rodriguez flee in the car.

Gilbert’s girlfriend told police that the two of them got out of their car to have a smoke, while their small children remained in the vehicle.

She said she saw two men shoot Gilbert. She said gunfire also hit their car while the children were still inside.