Salt Lake man charged with shooting at non-existent people “in the trees”

SALT LAKE CITY – Almost three dozen charges are filed against a Salt Lake man after police say he opened fire on people who didn’t actually exist.  Investigators say they found a huge supply of ammunition, weapons and drugs when they searched his home.

Court documents show Timmy Gurule was charged Monday with several counts of drug distribution, along with several more felony counts of firearm discharge and 24 counts of possession of a firearm by a restricted person.

Prosecutors say it started when an officer was writing a traffic ticket near 500 South Redwood Road in August of 2018.  The probable cause statement says the officer found Timmy Gurule standing in his yard nearby with gun casings around him.

“He indicated to the officer that there were multiple people living in the trees,” according to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.

Gurule reportedly specified to the officer that there were 30 to 50 people living in the trees, but, they were invisible to the naked eye.

Gill says, “[He said] the officer couldn’t see them without the infrared binoculars that [Gurule] had.”

A window of a car parked in the driveway had also reportedly been shot out.  Gill says this situation was incredibly dangerous.

“We had somebody in a public space firing his weapon, and we’re just very lucky and thankful that nobody got hurt.”

Officers got a warrant to search Gurule’s home.  Inside, they reportedly found two dozen guns, two scales, 87 grams of psychedelic mushrooms and just over $8,500 in cash.  They also got a warrant to take a sample of Gurule’s blood.

Gill says, “It yielded the presence of amphetamine, methamphetamine as well as THC.”