This past Saturday, just after midnight (local time) in Joplin, Missouri, police were called to the Flying J truck-stop on the eastern edge of the city after reports of a man firing a weapon into the night’s sky.
Between the Denny’s and Blue Beacon Truck Wash, Joplin PD apprehended 25-year-old Las Vegas resident Ulysses Liaina Jr. without incident and recovered a 9mm Ruger handgun and 13 spent bullet casings.
“Witnesses and friends all said he just pointed it straight up in the air. And so he wasn’t aiming at anybody,” said Captain Bob Higginbotham, who spoke to local outlet KZRG. When police asked Liaina his reasons for discharging his firearm in a public place, they received an unusual answer. Liaina allegedly told officers he shot into the air because he was upset that Conor McGregor had just defeated Nate Diaz in their much anticipated rematch at UFC 202.
“It was apparently his method of venting,” added Higginbotham.
Liaina was charged with a single count of unlawful use of a weapon. In Missouri, that offense can be categorized as either a misdemeanor or a felony - depending on the circumstances. If found guilty, Liaina may incur up to $5,000 in fines.
No one was harmed in the incident. Ulysses Liaina Jr. is considered innocent until proven guilty.