SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 2, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Police have arrested a 32-year-old man accused of shooting two people at a soccer game Monday evening at a west Salt Lake City park.
Steven Mathew Macias was arrested Tuesday morning in Juab County in connection with the shooting that critically injured a 21-year-old man and left a 65-year-old man in serious condition, Salt Lake City police said.
Dispatchers received several calls at about 7:30 p.m. Monday regarding a shooting at 17th South River Park, 1150 W. 1700 South.
Officers arrived to find the 21-year-old man on the soccer field with a gunshot wound, police said. Police and fire officials began life-saving efforts on the man, who later was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.
At about 10 p.m., officers found a second gunshot victim, a 65-year-old man, in a field south of the shooting, according to police. The man was taken to an area hospital in serious condition, police said.
Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown on Tuesday said both victims were recovering.
“The motive to this shooting is still under investigation, but this arrest highlights the amazing work of our officers, detectives and crime lab technicians,” Brown stated on Twitter. “Our city appreciates their swift actions.”
Police say Macias used a rifle to shoot the 65-year-old man as the victim sat in a truck. Witnesses told police Macias then fired the rifle in the direction of a crowd of people on the soccer field, hitting the 21-year-old man, SLCPD stated in a news release Tuesday.
A bullet also hit a passing car during the shooting, police said.
About 30 people — including children — were either playing or watching the soccer game at the time of the shooting, police said.
Police say the injured 65-year-old man was 150 yards south of the parking lot when officers found him collapsed in vegetation.
Macias left the area in an SUV before officers arrived, according to police. He faces seven potential counts of felony discharge of a firearm and four counts of aggravated assault, police said.
Please update the Utah public about the arrested’s resident/immigration status as soon as some journalist works on finding it out.