Daniel Ortello, a 31-year-old Black man, was one of three people killed in a shooting in Youngstown, Ohio, in the early morning of February 9, 2020. The incident also claimed the life of his older brother, Dymond D. Ortello, who was 34.
The violence erupted at the Brothers of Power Classic Cars club on Logan Avenue. At 3:45 a.m., police were called to a "chaotic scene" where about 100 people were fleeing in vehicles after gunfire broke out. Inside the club, Daniel Ortello and another man, 37-year-old Charles Pullen, shot and killed each other, according to police. In the club's parking lot, Daniel's brother Dymond was fatally wounded. Three other people were also injured in the incident.
Investigators identified Robert L. Shelton as the suspect in Dymond Ortello's death. Shelton, a friend of Pullen's, reportedly ran from the club to a nearby gas station, where surveillance video showed him removing his sweatshirt. Two days after the shooting, the U.S.
Marshals' Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Shelton in Liberty, Ohio, following a tip from the community.
Shelton was charged with aggravated murder, murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of Dymond Ortello. During his trial, Shelton's attorneys argued that he acted in self-defense. Shelton told the judge he shot Dymond after seeing his friend, Charles Pullen, get killed inside the club. He stated, "My back was against the wall."
In May 2022, Shelton's trial ended with a plea agreement that the Ortello family, including Daniel's sister Denise Young, approved. Shelton, then 46, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter with a gun specification. The remaining charges were dismissed, and he was sentenced to serve 13 to 18 years in prison.
The case of Daniel Ortello's death is considered closed, as the man identified by police as his shooter, Charles Pullen, died at the scene. The separate prosecution related to his brother's killing concluded with Robert Shelton's sentencing in May 2022.
