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WEST VALLEY CITY — A man was shot to death early Saturday during some kind of struggle inside a West Valley home.
Officers were called about 1:15 a.m. to 4150 S. Blue Jay Street (4985 West).
"We were called there because of a fight or some sort of commotion," said West Valley Police Sgt. Justin Wyckoff. "There were also reports of shots fired."
When police arrived, they found an open sliding glass door in the backyard. The door led to the home's kitchen, where there were "obvious signs that a struggle had taken place," said police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku.
"Officers called out into the residence, but received no answer in response," she said.
That's when officers found a man, approximately 20 to 30 years old, inside the home dead from an apparent gunshot wound. Police were still trying to identify him late Saturday.
Investigators later determined that up to three people had forced their way into the home and confronted the homeowner and the victim. The intruders were all dressed in black and had bandanas over their faces, Vainuku said.
At least one of the intruders had a gun and fired it multiple times inside the house, she said. The trio then fled in a dark-colored, large Suburban-style SUV.
Detectives executed a search warrant at the home Saturday. The victim's body was taken to the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office to determine the cause of death and to identify the man.
Despite limited information about the intruders, Vainuku said detectives were working to develop information about the killers.
"We're doing the best we can to take the information we have and put it together in some sort of form to help lead us to exactly who committed this crime," Vainuku said.
She advised residents to always keep their doors locked, even when inside their homes.
"Use common sense techniques to protect yourself," she said. "Watch out for your neighbors, keep a good eye out, and please call police if you see anything suspicious in your neighborhood."
Residents said they usually see few problems in the area.
"We have nice neighbors. I've never had problems with the people around here," said Ignacio Vargas.
"This is the first time we had an issue like this happen here," added another neighbor who asked not to be identified. "It's very sad."
Police are encouraging anyone with information about the incident to call police at 801-840-4000.
Contributing: Jasen Lee, Alex Cabrero
