SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah, April 17, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Officials have identified the man taken into custody after a person was shot at a bus stop in South Salt Lake.
The suspect is Shamar Frenyota Murchison, 35, of Midvale. He has been charged on suspicion of:
- Murder, a first-degree felony, likely to be amended to attempted murder
- Aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony
- Transaction of a firearm by a Class-1 restricted person, a second-degree felony
- Discharge of firearm at or into a terminal or bus, a third-degree felony
- Threat/use of dangerous weapon in a fight, a class A misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
- Assault — attempt to do bodily injury, a class B misdemeanor
Utah Transit Authority Police responded to the scene at 5:01 p.m. after a report someone had been shot at a bus stop at 188 W. 3900 South, a probable cause statement says.
“Shortly after dispatch had sent a photo of the suspect who had fled the scene. This photo was a screenshot from a UTA security footage playback. Once UTA Police arrived a description was confirmed as the same as the photo released to all UTA Police Officers.
“A part of the description was a black male, prescription glasses, wearing all black, having a bandana under a hat and carrying a shoulder style bag. It was reported that the suspect was heading in the west direction from the Trax station.”
Officers made contact with the victim of a single round, which entered one of his legs and exited, the statement said.
The victim was transported to the hospital, R. Fred Ross, UTA chief of police, told Gephardt Daily at the scene, adding that the man is “doing very well.”
“He was subsequently transported to a local hospital for evaluation,” the probable cause statement says. Further investigation by officers and detectives on scene with witnesses and victims stated that the male later identified as Shamar Murchison appeared to be upset. The suspect reportedly had punched a blind man who was exiting the bus.
“When confronted by other passengers Murchison pulled a gun from his bag and fired one shot. A female witness stated that she thought Murchison had tried to shoot her because he had told her ‘I got something for you’ prior to the shot. Upon further investigation by officers on scene, a .22 cal casing was located at the scene as well as a slug.”
The scene was processed by Unified Police Forensics, the statement says. Murchison was located by UTAPD and South Salt Lake Police officers near a bus stop located 3875 South 500 West, and was arrested.
After being read his Miranda Rights, Murchison agreed to talk, the statement says. Asked about the gun used, Murchison said he knew nothing about a gun, it says. He did admit to being in an argument at a bus station.
A search of Murchison turned up drug paraphernalia, the statement says.
At the police station, the suspect said he was waiting for a bus, talking on his phone, “and people began to ‘crowd’ him,” the statement says.” Murchison then stated that he was then ‘stepped on.’ I asked Murchison what this meant, and he stated that someone physically stepped on his shoe. I asked Murchison what had happened next and he stated he walked away.
“I asked Murchison to tell me more about the gun that he had used and where he got the gun. Murchison stated that he did not have a gun and stated he did not know what I was talking about. Murchison then told me that he was going back to prison either way and did not want to talk anymore.”
The firearm was located and confirmed to be a .22 caliber Ruger and also matched the description given by witnesses that had seen Murchison, the statement said.
Both Ross and UTA spokesman Carl Arky said a mental health issue may have been a factor in the shooting, but the motive for the man’s behavior will be determined as part of the investigation.
Murchison’s bail was set at $50,000.
