UTAH COUNTY, Utah, Nov. 5, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A man has been arrested after allegedly firing shots near a Trump rally in Utah County.
A probable cause statement from Utah County said Adrian Coronel, 23, is facing charges of:
- Aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
- Possession of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor
- Discharge of firearms, a class B misdemeanor
On Tuesday evening, officers responded to the intersection of State Street and University Parkway in Orem on a report of shots being fired, according to the probable cause statement.
“On the northeastern corner of the intersection a rally was being held in support of President Trump. A vehicle described as black four-door sedan approached the group and the occupants began screaming obscenities at them. The vehicle drove past the rally north on State Street and a passenger fired two rounds from a firearm into the air,” the statement said.
The vehicle then circled around and parked behind the group on the corner and the occupants continued shouting, police said.
“Several witnesses described a passenger point a gun out the window and make death threats towards the group,” the statement said. “The vehicle then drove away. The passengers of the vehicle were all described as being in their early 20s and Hispanic.”
When officers arrived, they were pointed to the area that the gun was discharged and two 9 mm casings were located on the ground, according to the probable cause statement. Police said one shell casing was found in the gutter on the east side of State Street and the other on the sidewalk.
At approximately 12:18 a.m., a caller reported he had picked up two men in Wasatch County that asked him for a ride to Orem. While they were in his vehicle he allegedly overheard them speaking about how they had run from the police and were wanted, the statement said. He dropped the men off at the 7-Eleven gas station at 31 West 800 North in Orem.
Officers responded and made contact with the men, one of whom was Coronel. He was found to have several active warrants.
Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office officials told Orem police they had come into contact with a stolen vehicle and all of the occupants had fled on foot with the exception of one woman. She was cooperative with deputies and provided the names of the other occupants of the vehicle, which included Coronel. She also stated that they were involved in a shooting in Orem and she was in the vehicle when it occurred.
The stolen vehicle recovered by Wasatch County deputies matched the vehicle description in the Orem incident. The woman said in a statement they had driven past the Trump rally located at the intersection of State Street and University Parkway and began screaming, the statement said. She then stated Coronel leaned out the window and fired several shots into the air. The group then drove up Provo Canyon where they were contacted by Wasatch deputies and fled.
Wasatch deputies say they located several 9 mm shell casings in the stolen vehicle.
Coronel was taken into custody and searched; deputies say he was found to be in possession of several loose pills in an unmarked plastic bag. Several of the pills were tested with with a field meth test kit and returned positive for methamphetamine, the statement said.
Coronel was transported to the Utah County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
