SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 24, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A 46-year-old man turned himself in Monday after a shooting that injured another employee at his workplace.
This investigation started at approximately 7:30 p.m. when dispatch got a call about an armed person at a business in the 3100 block of West Professional Circle, a statement from the Salt Lake City Police Department says.
Surveillance video shows the suspect got into a verbal argument with the victim, a 27-year-old man, then walked to his vehicle and retrieved a firearm,” says a probable cause statement filed in the case.
“The AP (arrested person) then attempted to go back into the business with the firearm in his hand, but someone had locked the door. Since the AP could not get back inside the business, he walked to the victim’s vehicle in the employee parking lot and shot all four tires. While the AP was outside shooting at the vehicle, he repeatedly called out to the victim to come outside.
“Post Miranda, the AP admitted that something bad would have happened if the victim would have come outside,” the probable cause statement says.
“As the victim unlocked the front door of the business to see what was happening the AP shot the victim in the leg. After being shot, the victim retreated back inside the business to get away from the AP. The AP followed him into the lobby of business. The AP stopped in the lobby and manipulated the firearm before continuing to follow the victim further into the business.”
The statement released Tuesday by police says the victim suffered a very minor injury, which did not require medical attention. It says police were given the name of the suspect, Esekielu Tuigamala, and began to search for him.
Two hours after the initial call, Tuigamala turned himself in to police, the SLCPD statement says.
Detectives booked Tuigamala into jail on charges of aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; felony discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony; and criminal mischief a class A misdemeanor.
Tuigamala is being held without bail.
