A 40-year-old Laguna Niguel man pleaded guilty Friday to using a semi-automatic rifle to repeatedly fire at an Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter from his home last year, federal prosecutors said.
On March 9, 2024, Justin Derek Jennings had been drinking during his party when he became angry and family members began leaving, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. After most had gone, Jennings retrieved a rifle from his gun safe and fired an entire magazine of ammunition inside the home.
The remaining guests fled and called law enforcement, prosecutors said in a news release.
Deputies responded with several units and a helicopter, which began circling the area. From a second-story window, Jennings fired into the air, shooting only when the helicopter was in view, court documents state. The gunfire continued intermittently for at least 20 minutes before Jennings surrendered, according to prosecutors.
A search of the home turned up two revolvers, two handguns, two rifles, multiple rounds of ammunition, and bullet casings scattered across the floor, the release stated. Two magazines and a box of ammunition were found on a couch beneath the window from which Jennings fired.
Jennings pleaded guilty to one federal count of attempting to damage, destroy, disable, or wreck an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 30, 2026, and faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office initially filed charges in the case but dismissed them so the federal prosecution could move forward.