Convicted Felon Pleads Not Guilty to a Federal Charge of Firing an Assault Rifle into the Floor of His Apartment

Paul Kurt Mitchell (41) pleaded not guilty to a charge involving the shooting of an AK-47 assault rifle into a unit occupied by a family below his North Portland apartment when he appeared in the Portland District Court yesterday (Wednesday).

Bullets Narrowly Missed Family of Four Living Below

Mitchell is accused of firing the weapon into the floor of his apartment, spraying bullets, and narrowly missing four family members living in the unit below his apartment. He is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in a one-count federal indictment.

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo, the court heard that Mitchell had prior convictions for attempted murder and second-degree robbery. He was also prohibited from possessing a gun when the alleged offense took place on May 12.

According to a probable cause affidavit, the tenants living below Mitchell’s apartment at 5875 N. Fessenden St. were in their living room with their two children when they saw bullet holes in the ceiling after hearing gunshots.

The family told police that they had heard Mitchell screaming and shouting earlier in the day and heard him moving objects around his apartment. The family told police that they had never had contact with Mitchell.

Mitchell Told the Police to ‘Bring in the Tanks’

Portland police who responded to a call about gunshots being fired on the second floor of the apartment complex said Mitchell had shouted at them from his window, denying knowledge of any shooting. According to the affidavit, Mitchell told the police to ‘bring in the tanks,’ or words to that effect.

The police uncovered two bullets that had penetrated the floor of Mitchell’s apartment, piercing through the ceiling of the family unit below. Bullet fragments were recovered from the family’s living room carpet and the police seized an AK-47 rifle from a closet in Mitchell’s apartment.

Before his appearance in the Portland District Court yesterday, Mitchell had faced state charges in the Multnomah County Circuit Court of reckless endangerment and the unlawful use of a weapon. Those charges were dismissed after the case was transferred to federal court.

Mitchell filed a petition on June 23, 2024, in the Multnomah County Circuit Court, seeking to set aside his conviction of a felon possessing a gun – records show that no action was taken on his petition.

In 2002, Mitchell was convicted of second-degree robbery; in February 2010 he was convicted of attempted murder with a firearm for which he received a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence; and in 2018 he was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm according to court records.