SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 17, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A man said to be a “high-ranking” gang member has been charged in a parking lot shootout that happened the night of Friday, June 9.
According to court documents, Axel Jose Pineda Mondragon, 22, was arrested at about 1 a.m. and booked on suspicion of:
- Aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony
- Felony discharge of a firearm as a first-degree felony
- Two counts of felony discharge of a firearm as a second-degree felony
The night of the incident Salt Lake City police responded to “a large gang shooting involving nearly 20 people, six guns, and 50 rounds fired in a parking lot near 3300 S Highland Dr.,” says a probable cause statement filed by an officer of the SLCPD.
“The subject was seen on video shooting at least three times from a handgun towards the other group. One of the individuals in the victim group was struck in the leg with a bullet and required emergency surgery.
The shooting victim’s doctor told investigators “he would face semi-permanent to permanent loss of mobility in addition to pain in the ankle due to the gunshot wound,” Mondragon’s charging documents say.
“Axel was part of a group of 11 individuals, four of whom were all seen on video firing guns towards the other group. Law enforcement has identified multiple members of both groups and has found them heavily consist(ing) of members of rival gangs, with Axel himself being a documented high ranking member of one of the gangs.
“There were approximately 50 shell casings recovered on scene from six separate guns. Axel was taken into custody tonight and there was a pistol on the driver seat where he was sitting.”
Charging documents recommended keeping Mondragon in custody because “the subject has shown his propensity for violence. The subject has a large network of gang associates that could aid his attempts to avoid apprehension.”
The suspect was booked into the Salt Lake County jail system, and ordered to be held without bail.
