SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 6, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake City School District has released a statement saying four of five victims of a drive-by shooting early Sunday morning were West High School graduates.
Two of the victims are members of the class of 2021, whose graduation was just held Friday night.
Two other victims are former graduates of West High, including 20-year-old Sean Amone, who died in the attack.
A fifth victim has been identified as a graduate of Highland High School.
According to the school district statement, the group was attending a graduation party when the drive-by shooting took place.
Salt Lake City Police Lt. Carlos Valencia told Gephardt Daily officers were called to the scene outside a home near 1400 N. General Drive at about 1:40 a.m.
“When officers arrived, they found multiple victims with gunshot wounds,” Valencia said. “Four of the people went to local hospitals and are in stable condition. One of them, unfortunately, is dead on scene.”
The male victim, now revealed to be Amone, was standing with several others in front of the residence when shots were fired from a passing car, according to witness statements.
“We know based on footage we have from nearby homes that we’ve got a white car, older model, that was driving southbound, but we are trying to determine if that car was actually involved,” Valencia said.
The SLC School District’s letter offered emotional support to students who feel that would be helpful, and it included a national hotline for others who would like to seek help.
The letter follows:
Dear families: We received word this morning about a shooting at a graduation party early Sunday morning that left four injured and one dead. All five victims are members of our community, and were either recent graduates or former graduates of the Salt Lake School District.
We were deeply saddened to hear this devastating news. We know many of you have been impacted by this tragedy and wanted to offer our support as district and school administration.
Two of the victims are 2021 West High School graduates, one is a former Highland High School graduate, and the other two young people, including the person who was fatally shot, are both former West High School graduates. We know their families are valued members of the neighborhood community, and many of them have siblings, family members and friends who attend our schools.
As parents and guardians, we ask you to please keep an eye on your students in the coming days and weeks. This is a critical time, especially given that school is about to let out for the summer. Our school counseling teams will be available through Thursday, June 10. If your student needs additional support, please email your school principal directly.
As we’ve communicated with law enforcement today, we’ve been assured the police are doing everything possible to find the perpetrators and seek justice. In situations like this, especially when victims are innocent bystanders, it may be tempting for our young people to try and take matters into their own hands. Please talk to your students and encourage them to deal with the emotions they may be feeling by speaking with a counselor or other trusted source.
The letter shared a list of district resources and public mental health resources available to students connected to the district. For others, it listed the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available by calling 800-273-TALK or online, through the Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
