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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 28, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Police have identified a 16-year-old male fatally stabbed after he and friends were accosted by another group early Monday morning.
The deceased is Marcelino Johnson, the Salt Lake City Police Department said in a tweet Tuesday afternoon. The victim was initially identified as being 17 years old, but police later amended that to say he was 16.
Salt Lake City Police Lt. Gary Trost said police were notified at 1:12 a.m. of a stabbing on Kensington Avenue between State and Major streets.
“One group of at least four people, including the victim and two females, were on Kensington. It started verbally, and from a distance,” Trost told Gephardt Daily.
Trost didn’t have exact ages for those in what he called the “victim group,” but he said they are all juveniles, between 14 and 18 years old.
The number of people in the “suspect group” is not known, nor are their ages.
Trost said the verbal altercation continued for a few blocks until it became physical and Johnson was stabbed in the lower torso. He was transported to the hospital in extremely critical condition, but died during surgery.
Homicide detectives were called out and witnesses are being interviewed.
Gephardt Daily will update this developing story as more information is released.
SLCPD asks that anyone with information on the incident contact them by calling 801-799-3000. To remain anonymous, text crime tips to 274637. Start the text with the keyword TIPSLCPD (which routes it to SLCPD), then a space, followed by the relevant information or photos. Reference: crimetip.
