SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah, April 16, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A suspect is in custody Tuesday night after allegedly shooting a man who was in a group of people standing at the bus stop at Utah Transit Authority’s Meadowbrook station.
R. Fred Ross, UTA chief of police, told Gephardt Daily the incident happened shortly before 5:30 p.m. as a verbal altercation was going on between the male suspect and several people who were at the bus stop.
The suspect suddenly pulled out a gun and fired off one round, Ross said. The male victim was hit in the leg.
Police were called and officers responded quickly. The victim was transported to the hospital, and Ross told reporters at the scene that the man is “doing very well.”
It isn’t known if the suspect and the victim had been actively arguing, and Ross said police have no reason to believe the two men knew each other. Ross said the shooting appeared to be random, rather than directed at any particular individual.
Carl Arky, public information officer for UTA, told Gephardt Daily the incident occurred where the buses stop, and not at the train platform. The shooter was not on a bus at the time.
Arky said the suspect was apprehended by UTA police just a few minutes after the incident and was being questioned by authorities. South Salt Lake Police Department is assisting.
Both Ross and Arky said a mental health issue may have been a factor in the shooting, but the motive for the man’s behavior will be determined as part of the investigation.
Arky said there were no delays to trains or buses and everything is running on schedule.
Gephardt Daily will update this developing story as more information becomes available.
