Sandy man threatened to kill parents after shooting TVs, police say

SANDY, Utah — A Sandy man was charged Friday with shooting two televisions and threatening to kill his parents and go on a killing spree.

Luke James Bullard, 25, is charged in 3rd District Court with three counts of illegal discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony; aggravated cruelty to animals, criminal mischief and making a threat of violence, class B misdemeanors.

Bullard was in his parents’ Sandy residence when he told them to cover their ears. Moments later, the son fired two rounds into a television in the master bedroom and another round into the TV in the front room, according to a police booking affidavit.

Police said the man “has made multiple threats to burn down the house and go on a killing spree until he dies.”

The father showed police a string of text messages from his son stating, “If you kick me out of this house, I’m going to kill both of you and I’m going to burn the house down and I’m going to start assassinating people until I die,” the affidavit states.

After Bullard left the house and police arrived, he called his father and “appeared concerned for his parents’ safety,” claiming he drove by and saw police cars out front, according to the affidavit. He then “sounded shocked” when he was told that shots were fired inside the residence.

But when police asked the man to return to the house, they said he “stated he would not be returning, and stated there was no reason for him to return.”

The father informed police that his son has been diagnosed with “schizoaffective disorder and is a danger to not only himself, but he is progressively getting more and more aggressive,” according to the affidavit. He also allegedly threatened to kill his parents and burn their house down in October.

Draper police spotted Bullard Monday and booked him into the Salt Lake County Jail.