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SALT LAKE CITY — An innocent bystander trying to protect his children from a nearby fight was shot in the chest Tuesday night and was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
"There are no indications he was involved in the fight," said Salt Lake police detective Rick Wall.
A 19-year-old man was arrested in connection with the fight and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail.
Police say a 21-year-old man and his wife, 21, were walking home from Sherwood Park, 240 S. 1400 West, with their two children just before 10 p.m. Tuesday. Witnesses said as they were walking, there was a "pretty large fight" happening in the street, according to Wall.
According to Salt Lake County Jail documents, 19-year-old Oscar Alfaro and another man drove to the area where the fight occurred and spotted a rival gang member they were looking for.
The two got out of the vehicle and the passenger pointed a gun at the rival gang member, jail documents say. A fight broke out and shots were fired.
"During a second round of shots being fired, an innocent onlooker was shot while trying to protect his children," according to court documents.
Jail documents do not say if Alfaro shot the man just Alfaro was "involved with the fight and handling the gun."
The onlooker was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
It was not immediately known how far away the man was from the fight when he was shot.
About 15 minutes later, a man with a stab wound who police have not identified was dropped off by friends at a local hospital. The vehicle that transported the man to the hospital matched the description of the vehicle seen leaving the shooting, police said.
The stabbing victim was reported to be in serious condition.
Investigators located the vehicle, and after conducting several interviews arrested Oscar Alfaro and booked him into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated assault, a second-degree felony, and riot, a third-degree felony.
Email:preavy@ksl.com
