OREM, Utah, March 2, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A Utah teen has been charged with murder in the shooting death of an Orem man.
Elbert Paule, 19, was wanted as a suspect in the Thursday night shooting of 26-year-old Dominique Barnett.
Orem Public Safety issued a tweet early Saturday, saying that Paule had turned himself in to authorities and was in custody.
According to a probable cause statement filed in Utah County Fourth Judicial District Court on Saturday, Barnett went to Paule’s apartment, at Park Loft Apartments, 1225 W. 1000 South, to visit with Paule. The two men were acquaintances.
The apartment complex is close to Utah Valley University, but west of Interstate 15. Orem police had earlier confirmed that Paule was registered as a UVU student for next term, but had not selected classes.
The statement says that Barnett knocked on the door of the apartment, and Paule opened the door and “without warning, shot Barnett point blank in the torso with a 12 gauge shotgun.”
According to the statement, Paule then threw the shotgun off the apartment balcony and fled from the complex.
A witness in the apartment reported seeing Paule pick up the shotgun and peek through the peephole before opening the door and shooting Barnett.
Barnett was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, but died of the gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased at 9 p.m., about an hour after he was shot.
Police recovered a shotgun, and immediately identified Paule as a suspect at large.
Paule has been charged with murder, a first-degree felony. If convicted, Paule faces a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
