WEST JORDAN, Utah, March 27, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A 29-year-old man was booked into the Salt Lake County jail Tuesday after West Jordan police say he admitted to fatally shooting at his best friend, who was recording a phone video, because the shooter thought the gun was not loaded.
Anthony Sanchez was arrested Tuesday afternoon for investigation of:
- Felony discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony
- Possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony
- Negligent homicide, a class A misdemeanor
West Jordan police responded to the area of 6900 W. Jackling Way.
“Dispatch call notes indicated there was a male patient that had been shot in the chest and was unconscious,” Sanchez’s affidavit says. “Additional information in the call notes was that there was a male screaming that he actually shot someone, and the patient was in the upstairs portion of the house, awake and in pain.
“Call notes further indicated that the caller stated, ‘I can’t believe I shot my best friend.'”
Responding officers found the 27-year-old victim and began to attempt life-saving measures. The victim had a gunshot wound to the upper right side of his chest, the affidavit says.
“Officers reported drug paraphernalia in plain view in the area of the shooting,” court documents say. “Officers reported a magazine that appeared to be loaded and belong to a Glock handgun, near the paraphernalia. Officers reported there may be video of the incident on a cell phone, unknown at this point who the phone belongs to.
“There was a loaded 1911 style handgun on the floor near the victim that is believed to be the weapon involved in this shooting. On scene officers took this handgun, cleared it of the remaining ammunition and secured it in a patrol vehicle while on scene medics arrived to continue life-saving measures.”
The victim was transported to the Intermountain Medical Center in critical condition. He later died of his injury.
Sanchez and a man, who said he arrived after the shooting, were transported to the police station for questioning.
Post Miranda, Sanchez told officers that he and the victim had guns when they were watching television the night before. Sanchez said he did something funny, and the victim pulled out his phone and began recording Sanchez.
“Anthony stated that he pulled his gun out to be funny, not knowing it was loaded,” his probable cause statement says. “Anthony pointed the loaded firearm at (the victim) and pulled the trigger and shot (the victim) in the chest.
“Anthony reported that there was no fight or argument, no drug use today (Tuesday), however he did say they used cocaine last night.”
The other man, who witnessed the scene before police arrived, said he “saw the gun on the ground but did not see or hear anything directly involving the incident beforehand,” adding that he saw the victim “on the ground with a lot of blood everywhere.”
Sanchez was ordered held without bail. As of late Wednesday afternoon, jail records showed he remained incarcerated.
