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WEST JORDAN, Utah, Sept. 13, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — West Jordan police have taken three people into custody after the fatal shooting of 20-year-old man at a restaurant on Redwood Road.
Lt. Richard Bell, West Jordan Police Department, told Gephardt Daily that those taken into custody are an 18-year-old man, believed to be the shooter; a 22-year-old man, who will also be charged in the case; and a 17-year-old female, who will probably face lesser charges than the adults.
West Jordan Police Lt. Jeremy Robertson told Gephardt Daily officers were called to Rancherito’s Restaurant at 7849 S. Redwood Road at about 12:35 a.m. with reports of shots fired.
When officers arrived they found the 20-year-old male inside the restaurant unconscious and bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper torso. Police started CPR until medical teams could take over. The victim was rushed to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray where he was pronounced dead a short while later.
Witnesses told police the shooting took place while two men were standing at the counter ordering food. They said two other men walked into the restaurant and became involved in a “verbal altercation” with the men at the counter. One of the men who walked in pulled out a pistol and shot the victim multiple times.
There may have been a brief discussion before a short fight broke out, witnesses said, then shots were fired. Officials say it appears the suspects and victim knew each other to some degree, and they say this may have been a targeted attack.
“They described two men entering and an altercation that occurred between the two men that entered and the victim and his friend,” said Lt. Jeremy Robertson of the West Jordan Police Department. “That altercation resulted in shots being fired, and the victim that unfortunately passed away. He was the only person that was injured ”
The victim’s identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
According to Robertson, the suspects ran from the restaurant and disappeared into the surrounding neighborhood.
Police set up containment efforts calling in K-9 tracking units from multiple agencies as well as a search helicopter from the UHP. As of 5:30 a.m., the suspects had not been apprehended, but police said they had solid leads about their possible identities.
Those leads paid off, Bell told Gephardt Daily.
“We followed some leads from the scene,” he said. “We are confident we have everyone who was involved in custody.”
Bell said the shooter has known gang ties, although he was not sure about the other two people in custody. But even if gang ties did not contribute to the shooting, Bell said, “gang mentality did.”
Bell said interviews are continuing, and he expected to be able to release more information Thursday afternoon.
Gephardt Daily will have more on the story as more information becomes available.
