A record label boss who fired handguns from his penthouse balcony has been held in a psychiatric ward.
Pictured: Mr. Alunomoh
The music boss said he believed he was a reincarnation of US rapper Tupac Shakur during the first pandemic lockdown incident.
Michael Alunomoh, 35, who calls himself CEO of Truth or Dare Records, posted live video on his Flexing Mike Instagram account of himself firing blanks into the air from Marina Tower East in Chatham Dockside, Kent .
His manic rampage from the top of the apartments frightened the neighbors and armed police officers were deployed.
Excited and ranting, he paced up and down his balcony on April 22, 2020 at around 8:30 a.m.
With bright yellow headphones, he fired several shots – some with welding guns in both hands – and also hit the railing with a gun.
Each time a gun was fired, a bolt of lightning would come out of the gun’s muzzle.
Mr Alunomoh, who once had an assault rifle slung over his shoulder, could yell “F*** the police” and “Call the police” while referring to Tupac and listening to his record “Hit ‘Em Up.”
Michael Alunomoh (above) posted a clip to Instagram of himself brandishing guns and yelling “Call the frigging cops” before yelling at the police gathered below, “Come on, come on, you’re crazy.”
When later examined by psychiatrists, the music mogul claimed to be Tupac’s reincarnation as he appeared “distraught and distraught,” a court heard.
When police arrested him, they confiscated three imitation firearms — two Eagles, 9mm dummy self-loading pistols, and a camp assault rifle.
They found 75 shell casings on his balcony and five on the floor of his master bedroom.
Armed police officers (left and right) stormed the block of flats in Kent and arrested the music boss on suspicion of firearms offences
Mr Alunomoh, who has no criminal record, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of firearms with intent to incite fear of violence in January this year.
The father-of-one previously denied the charges and was on trial last year, but the jury was dismissed before reaching verdicts after he became “extremely unwell”.
Sentence was adjourned pending psychiatric reports and Mr Alunomoh appeared today at Maidstone Crown Court, Kent, through a link with the Allington Center in Dartford.
He was transferred there in October last year, to a secure, low-level psychiatric ward.
After his arrest, Mr Alunomoh said a voice he had heard since he was a child told him to “disrupt the peace” so that the police would arrest him and have him treated.
The court heard he had since been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, but his condition had improved.
Barry Kogan, defending the music CEO, said Mr Alunomoh’s cannabis use was “a factor that contributed to his downfall”.
“He would like to sincerely apologize to everyone, especially members of the public who have been affected by his actions,” he added.
What is schizoaffective disorder?
Schizoaffective disorder is a condition in which symptoms of both psychotic and mood disorders coexist during one episode (or within two weeks of each other).
Episodes can vary in length.
Some people have recurring episodes, but it doesn’t necessarily happen to everyone
Source: mind
“He is a decent family man and devoted to his son who unfortunately is autistic and has many good qualities that have been severely compromised by his mental health.
“But he tells me he is in good health now, on his medication and there is hope for the future.”
Mr. Alunomoh has been in pre-trial detention since the incident and has therefore served four years and four months pre-trial detention.
Judge Julian Smith ordered he be jailed for ongoing treatment under the Mental Health Act and said the fear Alunomoh caused “could only be imagined”.
“These were realistic imitation firearms that explain the fear, heartache and concern that was caused. They fired blanks that day and scared a lot of people,” he added.
“What is perfectly clear is that this behavior has its roots in his disturbed mental state and insanity.”
Mr. Alunomoh’s final release will be decided by the doctors in charge of his treatment.
At his trial last May, the jury was told those watching the shooting from ground level and neighboring blocks feared for their safety as multiple 999 calls were made.
Some initially assumed the cracking was due to construction work.
Several filmed the action on their mobile phones, while one witness, Giovanni Agneli, watched through binoculars from his flat across the street and helped armed police officers to learn what was happening inside and outside the flat.
He denied wanting to kill or frighten anyone that morning and told police he would have aimed his guns if he had, as about 50 shots were fired from the balcony by shocked passers-by
Mr. Alunomoh later described collecting guns as a hobby and referred to them as “men’s toys”.
Armed police arrested the father in Chatham, Kent, where frightened locals fled for cover as gunfire rang out
“Mr Agneli was awakened by what he described as a popping noise. He looked out and saw Mr Alunomoh on his balcony waving his arms around and holding some sort of pistol,” prosecutor Dominic Connolly told the court.
“He saw Mr. Alunomoh fire a few more shots and shouted, ‘Call the police, I’m going crazy’. Mr Agneli did just that and dialed 999.
“He watched for about 20 minutes as Mr. Alunomoh walked in and out of his home firing the guns. Every time a gun was fired, he could see a shell casing fall to the ground.
“At one point he saw himself firing a gun with both hands and yelling over Tupac … He seemed to be dancing and seemed excited. Mr Agneli said it sometimes sounded like he was arguing with someone, but Mr Agneli could not see anyone in the flat with him.
“While this was happening, Mr. Alunomoh filmed himself, partially on and off, and then posted clips of this filming to an Instagram account called Flexing Mike.”
The court heard that he turned himself in to armed officers when asked to do so.
In addition to the shell casings, they found the weapons on and around two sun loungers.
When questioned by police, Alunomoh described being “controlled” by the voice in his head.
He said he spent the evening at the apartment listening to music with his brother and several friends, including artists he had signed to his music label.
The next morning the voice had told him, “I need you to disturb the peace,” said Alunomoh, and that he must “shoot until help comes.”
Armed police officers arrive shortly before his arrest during the first pandemic lockdown
The father of one Michael Alunomoh filmed himself firing from his balcony in Chatham, Kent, at panicked people below during lockdown
He denied trying to scare anyone and said he shot into the sky while yelling for people to call the police.
Mr. Alunomoh later described collecting guns as a hobby and referred to them as “men’s toys”.
But he denied wanting to kill or scare anyone that morning and told police he would have aimed his guns if he did.
“I have shot. I haven’t killed anyone. I just did my own thing because it’s still in my head. I kept shooting. Bang, bang, bang bang,” he declared
“I just put it in the sky and yelled, ‘Call the police’.”
The jury heard three psychiatrists agreed that Mr Alunomoh was suffering from a mental illness.
He told police he was diagnosed with schizophrenia in Nigeria about a year or two before he came to the UK in 2013.
The father said he was prescribed medication, but it had no effect on him.
Mr Alunomoh had been assisted by his longtime girlfriend at previous court hearings. It was said he wanted to return to his family in Birmingham after his release.