Man tried to bring loaded AR-15 into Texas nightclub after argument, prosecutor says

Dawson White
·2 min read

An altercation at a Texas nightclub sparked a chain of events that led to the arrest of a man with a loaded AR-15, officials said in court documents.

David Mena, 28, got into an argument with another man at a Houston nightclub on Monday before threatening to go get a gun and shoot him, a complaint filed by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office shows.

Mena got a ride home where he reportedly grabbed an AR-15 then demanded a ride back to the club — identified as Heart nightclub by several news outlets — but the person who drove him refused, officials said.

The person who gave Mena a ride returned to the club to warn deputies about Mena’s reported threats, KTRK reports.

Mena headed back to the club, himself, and was arrested with a loaded rifle about a block from the business, according to officials.

Mena’s reported actions “amounted to more than mere preparation,” according to authorities.

The Katy man is charged with attempted aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

His bond is set at $100,000, records show. He’s in custody at the Harris County jail.

About a month ago, Mena was charged with carrying a weapon on liquor license premises after he was accused of bringing an illegal handgun into the same club, The Houston Chronicle reported.

He was released after posting $3,000 bond and ordered to stay at least 200 feet from the club, not use or be in possession of any guns and abstain from drugs and alcohol, according to the newspaper.

“The facts and circumstances involved the same nightclub, the same location,” a hearing officer said during Mena’s first court appearance, KTRK reported. “An AR-15 with a loaded magazine of 28 bullets while there were over 100 people in the nightclub.”

“He was ordered by the judge in the case not to return to the premises, not to be in possession of firearms, and yet here he is on bond doing all that,” said Dave Brucker, chief prosecutor, according to the outlet.

Mena is due back in court Wednesday.