SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 27, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said on Thursday that a teen girl fatally shot Wednesday was 13 years old. Police arrested her brother, also a juvenile, and have charged him with his sister’s killing.
The child’s brother will be booked into a juvenile facility on a single charge of murder, according to reports. Neither juvenile’s name has been released.
The principal of Clayton Hill Middle School said Wednesday that the shooting victim was a student at the school, and counselors would be available today, Thursday.
“I’m writing to let you know that earlier today, police apprehended two suspects in a shooting that took place in a home near Edison Elementary School,” Principal Dallin Miller wrote in the Wednesday statement.
“I’m devastated to share that one of our students died in that shooting. We are deeply saddened by this loss and know this student’s passing may have an impact on many of the students and families in our school.
“Because of that, we plan to have district crisis counselors available tomorrow (Thursday) at Clayton to any student who may need support. For our online Clayton students, counselors will join the online class tomorrow to provide support. You can also email me, your student’s teacher, or one of our school counselors if your student needs one-on-one support. Parents and guardians, please keep a close eye on your students and reach out to me ([email protected]) or to one of their teachers if you would like your student to be connected to a crisis counselor tomorrow (or at any time).
“We send our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the student who passed away,” the note concludes.
The SLCPD said early on that two people had been detained in the case, but there have been no updates stating a second person was charged.
Shooting investigation
The investigation started at 12:04 p.m. Wednesday, when dispatch took a call about a shooting in the 1600 block of W. Wright Circle, which is in the Poplar Grove neighborhood of Salt Lake City.
“As officers responded, they learned the victim, a teenage girl, had been shot inside a home,” says an SLCPD statement released Wednesday. “Officers and paramedics responded. Lifesaving efforts were immediately started. The victim died on scene.”
A subsequent SLCPD statement revealed the victim’s brother, also a juvenile, had been taken into custody. His age has not officially been confirmed. The news release said the boy had left the residence before officers arrived.
“Working with nearby businesses, members of the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Police Community Response Team helped patrol officers to safely locate the shooter,” the news release said. SLCPD patrol officers responded to the location and arrested the shooter on a Utah Transit Authority bus near 1455 W. 400 South.
Three schools, including Edison Elementary, were placed on lockout when the suspect was at large. The bus with the suspect was stopped less than two blocks east of Edison Elementary.
The gun believed to be the murder weapon was not initially found, but was located later Wednesday afternoon.
Gephardt Daily will have more information as the case develops.
