Teen arrested after shooting of UK student; 10 injured by shrapnel

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Lexington police have made an arrest after the shooting of a University of Kentucky student.

Jason Almanza-Arroyo is charged with first-degree wanton endangerment, second-degree disorderly conduct, third-degree assault, and public intoxication.

The police department announced the arrest just after 7 a.m.

The shooting happened around midnight at a house party on University Avenue. A press release from the school says two uninvited people came to the house, and one shot was fired after an argument.

UK says one bullet hit a student directly and 10 others were hit by shrapnel. Both police and UK say all students hurt during the shooting are expected to recover.

UK President Eli Capilouto released this statement Thursday afternoon about the shooting:

Police and first responders marked off the scene shortly after the shooting. WKYT’s crew saw numerous students in the area.

Around 2 a.m., the school announced that Lexington police had brought two people into custody in connection to the shooting. The school said neither person is a UK student.

Around 4:30 a.m., police confirmed three people were detained. Police later said they had made two other arrests that were unrelated to the shooting. UK police say two guns were found during the investigation.

Almanza-Arroyo is currently being held in the Fayette County Detention Center.

We also dug into Almanza-Arroyo’s criminal history. Just last month, he pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault and two counts of wanton endangerment. Those charges are in connection to an incident that happened in 2020. He was 17 at the time. He’s set to be sentenced on Friday, September 16. He faces up to six years.

Back in January, he was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property involving a firearm and trafficking marijuana. A grand jury indicted him in March and the case is still ongoing.

Almanza-Arroyo appeared in court Friday afternoon. A plea of not guilty was entered for him. He is scheduled to be back in court on September 27 for a preliminary hearing.

Anyone with information about the shooting case is asked to contact Lexington Police by calling (859) 258-3600. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers by calling (859) 253-2020, online at www.bluegrasscrimestoppers.com, or through the P3 tips app available at www.p3tips.com.

Copyright 2022 WKYT. All rights reserved.