Judge Refuses Bail Reduction for Atomic Golf Shooter, Citing Community Danger

LAS VEGAS, NV — A Las Vegas judge on Monday shut down a motion to lower the $150,000 bail for the man accused of shooting a coworker and triggering a six-hour SWAT standoff at the Atomic Golf complex.

The Defense: Combat Valor and PTSD

During the hearing, defense attorney Alan J. Buttell urged the court to reconsider the bail amount for Andrew Mullen. Buttell revealed that Mullen is a highly decorated veteran with five years of military service, including three combat tours in Iraq.

The defense argued that Mullen’s “100 percent service disability rating” for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) played a central role in the weekend’s chaos. According to Buttell, Mullen believed he was being targeted for revenge by individuals he had previously removed from the establishment in his capacity as a security guard. The defense emphasized that Mullen, who has no criminal record for 39 years, is a father of five and currently employed, necessitating access to specialized veteran treatment rather than incarceration.

The Court’s Decision: Safety Over Mitigation

Despite acknowledging Mullen’s service, Judge Diana Sullivan denied the motion to reduce bail. She noted that the court was already aware of the PTSD diagnosis from the initial declaration of arrest and argued that circumstances had not changed since the bail was set on April 19.

“I do believe, even though there may be some mitigating factors, that what I know thus far is that he is a danger to the community,” Judge Sullivan stated.