Drunk man shot gun during fight with parents: cops

A man accused of drunkenly firing a gun during a fight with his parents Friday faces eight criminal charges.

Maricopa Police Department lodged felony weapons charges against 43-year-old Justin M. Gates, also slapping him with two charges each of endangerment, assault and disorderly conduct, and criminal damage, according to a probable-cause statement obtained by InMaricopa.

Cops responded to shots fired just after 5:30 p.m. at a Rancho El Dorado home on North Agave Road.

Witnesses said Gates was drunk and brandished a gun when he attacked his mother. When the father tried to interfere, Gates fired the gun, missing both parents and hitting a wall, according to police documents.

The dad wrestled the gun away from his son and pinned him to the floor until officers arrived. Police noted Gates was yelling and “being combative” after he was handcuffed.

Gates, who sits in the Pinal County jail on a $10,000 bond, faces more than four and a half years in prison.

His next hearing is Friday.

Just 24 hours before the shooting, Gates’ lawyer, Michael F. Magee of Zwillinger Wulkan in Phoenix, requested documents related to an unspecified incident at John Wayne Parkway and Smith-Enke Road on June 12, 2023, from the city. It is not yet known if these two events are related.

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