KEARNS, Utah, Nov. 21, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — An 18-year-old man has been arrested on a manslaughter charge after the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy in Kearns early Saturday morning.
Booked into the Salt Lake County Jail is Kaden Christiansen. Manslaughter is a second-degree felony.
Unified Police Detective Kevin Mallory told Gephardt Daily early evidence suggests the shooting was accidental.
“There was no conflict between the two before the shooting,” Mallory said. “It’s possible it may have been an accidental shooting. It was a bunch of teenagers hanging out, and at some point, a gun was brought into the mix.”
That scenario is reflected in the charge of manslaughter rather than homicide or murder, Mallory said, adding that it was early in the investigation and he could not release more details.
Police responded to the scene at about 1:11 a.m. after neighbors called to report a commotion in the area of 5155 S. Alex St. (4280 West).
When officers arrived, they found that the 15-year-old had succumbed to a gunshot wound, Mallory told Gephardt Daily.
Interviews were conducted with all involved, and Christiansen was taken into custody.
Gephardt Daily will update this developing story as more information is released.
