GLENDALE, AZ — A man has been arrested for allegedly firing shots into the air in Glendale, a violation of Shannon's Law, which prohibits firing a gun into the air.
Around 8:45 p.m. on the 4th of July, Glendale Police Department received a 911 call from a resident who reported a man firing shots in the courtyard of their apartment complex.
The incident happened near 67th and Olive avenues.
When officers arrived, they saw a 29-year-old man holding a black rifle. When officers attempted to speak to him, he went into his apartment and refused to exit, according to a police report.
At that point, police used a drone to better observe the apartment. The drone operator spotted several shell casings on the ground next to the man's apartment.
After some time, the 29-year-old suspect and his brother exited the apartment and were detained.
The suspect was taken to the Glendale City Jail where he was questioned. During an interview with detectives, the suspect confessed to shooting a rifle into the air approximately 11-12 times.
A search warrant was obtained and when detectives arrived at the apartment they located 100 casings from the shootings, as well as firearms, according to a police report.
Glendale PD notes the shootings happened at the height of the 4th of July celebrations while there was heavy foot and vehicle traffic in the area. The suspect is in violation of Shannon's Law, which is a felony in Arizona. He is also facing other charges, including aggravated assault.
Shannon's Law was established after a stray bullet killed 14-year-old Shannon Smith in Phoenix in 1999.
"Every year we put the warning out to folks about Shannon’s law and how dangerous firing weapons into the air can be and we still have incidents where it occurs," Glendale PD stated.
