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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 6, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — One person was killed and four others wounded in a drive-by shooting in Salt Lake City early Sunday morning.
Salt Lake City Police Lt. Carlos Valencia told Gephardt Daily, the shooting happened about about 1:40 a.m. in front of a home near 1400 North General Drive at approximately 2000 West.
“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, believed to be in his twenties, was standing with several people 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.
Dozens of shocked, grief stricken people poured from nearby homes, forcing police to call outside agencies for help controlling the emotionally charged scene.
“Some of the people who were at this location have been uncooperative so we don’t know exactly what happened here,” Valencia explained. ”
We had several individuals who came after the shooting when we were trying to stabilize the scene and keep all the evidence intact, but there were bystanders who were wanting to know what happened with someone on the ground, and obviously, with good reason, they were upset. We didn’t have sufficient staffing to keep more than thirty people away from the scene, so I had to make the decision for outside agencies to come help us.”
When asked if there was a connection to a reported incident involving gunfire earlier in the day, Valencia said there was a possibility the shooting was tied to an event downtown, but refused to speculate.
“Friends and family are here and want answers and we just don’t have them right now,” Valencia said.
