Police looking for suspect in South Salt Lake shooting


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SOUTH SALT LAKE — The driver of a pickup truck was shot and killed Monday and a teenage passenger was also shot during a confrontation with another group, police said Tuesday.

A West Valley City man, 40, died from a single gunshot wound to his upper body, said South Salt Lake police detective Gary Keller. Investigators have not yet released the man's name pending notification of family members.

A second victim, a 17-year-old boy from West Valley City who was in the front passenger seat of the same truck, was shot twice in the arm and stomach. The teen walked away from the scene before police arrived. He was later taken by friends to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries and was subsequently released, Keller said.

The incident began about 8 p.m. Monday near 200 East and Helm Avenue (3645 South). A silver Chevy Avalanche truck had traveled west on Helm and stopped just east of State Street. Police soon received a "flood" of calls reporting a shooting there, Keller said.

Detectives arrived to find the pickup truck still in the travel lane and two of its doors were open. Witnesses reported seeing four or five people running south from the scene and three or four people running north, Keller said.

Investigators believe a total of seven people were in the truck, including the driver, four males and two females between the ages of 13 and 19. Keller said it is believed members of the group were in some sort of confrontation with another group prior to shooting.

Detectives believe the victims were shot by someone in a nearby alley, about 20 yards away from the vehicle, Keller said. Although a motive for the shootings was still being investigated, Keller said possible gang involvement hadn't been ruled out.

A second vehicle found abandoned in the road nearby was originally thought to be connected to the shooting, but investigators later determined it was not connected, according to Keller.

Detectives with K-9s were out late Monday and early Tuesday trying to track suspects down. They found traces of blood from the 17-year-old victim, Keller said, and knew they were searching for a possible second wounded person. Hospital employees later called police informing them that a teen with a gunshot wound had been dropped off at their building.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call police at 801- 412-3606.

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Pat Reavy

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