Lawrence man arrested after reports of gunshots / LJWorld.com

A 25-year-old Lawrence man was arrested Thursday night in the 300 block of Michigan Street after allegedly firing an assault rifle on numerous occasions.

Miguel Ayala was arrested shortly before midnight Thursday, and was charged in Douglas County District Court with criminal discharge of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, distributing drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia. He's being held on a $26,800 bond.

According to Lawrence Police Sgt. Trent McKinley, officers responded to the 300 block of Michigan Street twice, both times after receiving a report of gunshots outside a residence. On the first call, about 10 p.m. Thursday, police didn't locate any shell casings.

However, when they returned at 11:30, officers found spent shell casings from a rifle outside a home. When police arrived, the occupants of the home shut the lights off. A occupant eventually came to the door, and after talking with that person, police determined Ayala twice had fired several rounds from an assault rifle outside the home.

Police seized guns and a "significant amount of drugs" from the home. An infant was present when officers arrived, and was turned over to a relative not involved in Thursday's incident.

Ayala was also arrested in September for an incident at Saint's Bar, 2329 Iowa St., in which police said Ayala threatened bar employees after being thrown out of the bar. Police said that when they arrived, Ayala resisted arrest and police found a gun in Ayala's possession.

He had been free on a $25,000 bond in that case, which is scheduled for trial in January.

Steve Swaggerty 3 years, 10 months ago

Not the sharpest tool in the shed, eh?

Steve Bunch 3 years, 10 months ago

Not the freshest metaphor either.

jhawkinsf 3 years, 10 months ago

It's just a matter of time until that gun of his winds up killing someone.

spoiled 3 years, 10 months ago

Blame it on the gun.

Liberty275 3 years, 10 months ago

Why is he not being charged by the feds with possessing an assault weapon?

hipper_than_hip 3 years, 10 months ago

Is it against the law to own a semi-auto rifle?

RoeDapple 3 years, 10 months ago

Assault rifle? Or semi-auto rifle made in the same style?

Armored_One 3 years, 10 months ago

If he held the gun over someone's head and shook it until the ammunition fell out, would he be charged with assault or just peppering?

beatrice 3 years, 10 months ago

Oh ... that is just terrible!

Thanks for the chuckle.

Tony Kisner 3 years, 10 months ago

You guys are not news paper editors, assault weapons sell papers. Daisy pellet guns are a yawner.

"When police arrived, the occupants of the home shut the lights off."

I guess it failed to work after the police knocked and he yelled, "Nobody's home."

deec 3 years, 10 months ago

Dave's not here, man.

Cheech and Chong - Dave's Not Here by themostample

"He's being held on a $26,800 bond." -- Of course he is. I mean, it isn't like he poses a danger to society or anything, so no reason to set an unreasonably high bond.

And $26,800? Was this number pulled from a hat at random?

I just wish people would stop calling those "scary-looking" black guns assault guns.

Yes, I own one. Yes, it's legal. Yes, it's semi-auto.

Of course, if the weapon in the story had a (non registered) drop-in auto sear or a lightning link that made it fully-auto, then that would be illegal. :)

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