SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 29, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A suspect is in custody after Unified Police say he fired a gun into the air at multiple locations, then went to a Salt Lake City yoga studio that had previously banned him for aggressive behavior.
The suspect, whose name has not been released, fought with an employee of the yoga studio, causing minor injuries, before he left the business and was taken into custody, police say.
Police initially blocked off the surrounding area, 700 East between 700 and 800 South, but have since reopened the roadway to traffic.
Sgt. Melody Cutler, Unified Police Department, told reporters at the scene that the incident began at about 8:30 a.m. with shots fired in the Holladay/Olympus Cove area, near the residence of the yoga studio owners.
“The individual that lives there believe they knew who this individual was, that our victim owns the yoga studio where we’ve ended up,” Cutler said while near the arrest scene. “What we know at this point is that our suspect was once a member of this yoga studio, became aggressive with some of the members and the employees. He was asked to no longer come back.”
Cutler said the owner was later alerted by employees that the suspect had arrived at the studio and was assaulting an employee. Unified Police, whose jurisdiction the case began in, responded to the scene, along with UHP, and SLCPD.
“Salt Lake City also received multiple calls that there was an individual out with a gun, and possibly at this location,” Cutler told reporters. “Salt Lake City responded to this location, where they located the male in a vehicle, and were able to take him into custody.”
Cutler said witnesses also reported shots fired at Chevron on Wasatch Boulevard and a Macy’s on 45th. As of the news conference, Unified Police officers had not recovered the gun, but had requested search warrants for the suspect’s vehicle and his residence, which is near the area of the yoga studio, Cutler said.
Besides Unified Police and Salt Lake City Police, Utah Highway Patrol troopers assisted in the case, she said.
Despite the multiple reports of gunfire, no one was shot in the incident, Cutler said, and the employee with minor injuries was expected to make a full recovery.
Gephardt Daily will have more information as details become available.
