A late-night round of gunfire north of Knoxville ended with a man in handcuffs Thursday, after deputies say he squeezed off several shots from an AK-47 near homes while neighbors were asleep. Residents told investigators the blasts jolted them awake, and officers later found the suspect hiding in a bedroom at the address tied to the vehicle involved. Authorities say he is now facing reckless-endangerment charges, and no injuries were reported.
According to a police report cited by WVLT, a Knox County Sheriff’s deputy responded to 3200 Mynatt Road after a caller reported shots fired. A witness told investigators they were “woke up by numerous gun shots” near a parked vehicle, the report states. Deputies then traced a Ford Mustang to the home where the car was registered. The report says officers located the driver, who admitted firing the rounds, and detained him after finding him hiding in a bedroom.
Charges and booking
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office inmate roster lists Jose Caballero Aguilar on a warrant dated April 30 for reckless endangerment tied to discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle. An appearance bond of $10,000 was set, and a bond hearing is scheduled for May 4. The roster entry outlines Aguilar’s booking details along with the court date for the felony bond hearing. For the official booking information, see the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
What the law says
Under Tennessee law, reckless endangerment becomes a felony when it involves a deadly weapon or when a firearm is discharged into a habitation or from within a motor vehicle. That structure gives prosecutors room to file felony reckless-endangerment charges when shots are fired near occupied homes, even if no one is hit. The relevant statute is explained on FindLaw, which outlines the degrees of reckless endangerment and the associated penalties.
Mynatt Road history and community concern
The Mynatt Road area has seen law enforcement attention before. In December 2024, WVLT reported on another shots-fired call there, when deputies detained several people near a mobile home park. Neighbors told reporters that open stretches of land around nearby houses can make gunfire echo and carry, and that sudden, loud shots close to homes leave residents on edge. Investigators say the probe into Thursday’s incident remains active.
Aguilar remains in custody as the case moves through Knox County courts and is scheduled for a bond hearing on Monday. Anyone with information about the shooting can contact the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. The department posts booking records and court dates on its online inmate roster.
