SANDY, Utah, Oct. 31, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — The 16-year-old boy shot nearly a week ago outside of Sandy’s Union Middle School has been upgraded to stable condition, police said.
Sandy Police Department Sgt. Dean Carriger said in a news release Monday the victim’s condition has been steadily improving.
The victim was initially listed in critical but stable condition after the shooting on Tuesday, Oct. 25, just as school was ending for the day. A source close to the family, who asked not to be identified, told Gephardt Daily that the victim was shot in the neck and face.
Carriger said the incident occurred at approximately 3 p.m., when two juveniles got into an argument on the north field of the school.
On Monday, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office formally filed charges in the case. The 14-year-old juvenile suspect has been charged with two first-degree felony charges: attempted murder and discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, as well as one count of third-degree felony discharge of a firearm and one count of class A misdemeanor possession of a firearm on or about school premises.
The suspect’s name will not be released because of juvenile status.
The suspect is a student at Union Middle School and the victim is a student at Hillcrest High School in Midvale, said Jeff Haney, a spokesman for Canyons School District.
Carriger said the area of the school, at 615 E. 8000 South, was quickly secured after an initial lockdown, and officers conducted interviews with dozens of witnesses. Information provided indicates the two juveniles had been involved in a conflict and they were going to meet after school. The specifics of their conflict and purpose of their meeting are still being investigated.
Any further release of information on this case will be issued by the Salt Lake County DA’s Office now that charges have been formally filed.
