Editor’s note: The following story contains disturbing details on the violent murder of a child. Reader discretion is advised.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 11, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 16-year-old boy has been charged as an adult in the April 26 shooting death of his 13-year-old sister.
Joseph Michael Landers, whose name became public only after he was charged as an adult, was charged Wednesday in Third District Court on suspicion of first degree felony murder and the purchase, transfer, possession of use of a firearm by a restricted person, a third degree felony.
The shooting
The investigation started at 12:04 p.m. that Wednesday day 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 a Salt Lake City Police statement issued at the time. “Officers and paramedics responded. Lifesaving efforts were immediately started. The victim died on scene.”
Landers’ charging documents say police interviewed the mother of the suspect and victim, who told them she was in another room talking on the phone, and her daughter, who went by the nickname Kica, was on the couch, doing online school lessons, sitting with Landers and three other children, ages 12, 15 and 16.
Landers and his friends started vaping, according to a juvenile witness, charging documents say.
“The group was talking about vaping and Kica was asking if she could have a hit. Landers was standing in front of the television and pulled a gun out of his pocket and said, ‘Who’s trying to get popped?'” charging documents say. “Kica told Landers, ‘Shut up, Joe. Stop. Because what if you accidentally do pull it?’
“Landers put a clip in and cocked it back to scare Kica. According to witness statements, Landers was pointing the gun at Kica’s head, and had the laser beam (that) was on her head. Landers said, ‘Oh, should I shoot her right here? Right here?’ Landers then pulled the trigger as Kica was sitting quietly.
“After he shot, Landers said, ‘S–t, s–t, s–t, Kica,’ and then ran,” charging documents say.
The mother of the suspect and victim said she heard a gunshot, then Landers “came running down the hallway, saying, ‘Mom, mom. I want my mom. I’m so sorry, I shot Kica.'”
The mother went to check on her daughter, and found Kica on the couch, bleeding from a bullet hole above her left eye, charging documents say.
Landers texted his mother after he fled, writing “Mom, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to mama,” his charging documents say.
The weapon
According to juvenile witnesses, there were two bullets in the clip, the gun was a “nine,” and it was brown and black with a red laser, Landers’ affidavit says.
After a search warrant was granted, investigators found evidence including a “Taurus G2S, 9mm semi-automatic handgun, black/brown with extended magazine and attached laser site,” the statement says.
The gun had a shell casing in the chamber and a magazine from the handgun with one unspent 9mm round in the magazine.
Landers fled the residence after the shooting, but was found by police and returned. He initially told investigators one of his friends had fired the fatal shot, but later “admitted that he was holding the gun when it fired, killing the victim,” his arrest document says.
The probable cause statement cited the suspect’s on-going criminal behavior and escalation of violence, without giving details, and suggested he be held without bail. Landers was booked into a juvenile detention facility.
Gephardt Daily will have more on the case as it develops.
