A street gun battle turned into a manhunt that ended in a hospital waiting room.
Emergency Sign over a Hospital Emergency Room Entrance

A street gun battle turned into a manhunt that ended in a hospital waiting room.

Posted by
1 min read
September 9, 2025

Garfield, NJ – Two men are now behind bars in connection with a broad-daylight shooting in Garfield after one of the suspects turned up at a hospital seeking treatment for a gunshot wound, prosecutors said.

The shooting unfolded on the morning of September 2 at Palisade Avenue and Somerset Street, where investigators determined seven rounds were exchanged between two men before they fled the scene. No victim was located at the time, but detectives later identified the shooters as Mikhi Maddox Odum, 20, of Garfield, and Jonathan M. Ortiz, also of Garfield.

Ortiz remained on the run until Sunday afternoon, when he walked into Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck around 2:30 p.m. with a gunshot wound to his arm. Hospital staff alerted police, who contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Garfield Police Department. Investigators linked Ortiz’s injury to the Garfield shootout. He was treated and then taken into custody, later remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a court appearance.

Meanwhile, prosecutors filed an additional charge of first-degree attempted murder against Odum on Monday, citing Ortiz’s injury. Odum, already in custody on earlier weapons charges, was served with the new charge at the Bergen County Jail, where he remains pending a detention hearing.

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella emphasized that both men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. He credited multiple agencies, including Garfield Police, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team, Port Authority Police, and Teaneck Police, for assisting in the investigation and apprehensions.

–––

Key Points

  • Two Garfield men exchanged seven gunshots in a September 2 street shooting before fleeing the scene.
  • Fugitive suspect Jonathan Ortiz was arrested after seeking hospital treatment for a gunshot wound linked to the incident.
  • Co-defendant Mikhi Maddox Odum was hit with an additional attempted murder charge following Ortiz’s injury.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Facebook

Don't Miss