Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WEST VALLEY CITY — Four men involved in what police believe was a gang-related shooting in West Valley City that left a 15-year-old boy paralyzed have been charged.
Kevin Henriquez-Chavarria, 19; Gerson Mursia-Morales, 18; Carlos Valentin, 18; and Juan Jose Espina, 19, were charged Monday in 3rd District Court with six counts each of felony discharge of a firearm.
On Jan. 26, two groups arranged to meet near 3740 W. 3240 South. A West Valley police officer who received information that a fight was going to happen was in the area when he heard five to six shots, according to the charges.
When the officer arrived at scene he found three males lying on the ground. The 15-year-old was on his back yelling, "I can't feel my legs. They are numb," the charges state.
A doctor later confirmed that a bullet was "lodged in the middle of his spinal cord" and that he would be "permanently paralyzed from the waist down," according to court records.
Two other juveniles who were present during the shooting told investigators that there had been an ongoing feud between the two groups, including a fight at the same location just two days earlier, the charges state. One of the juveniles told police he was challenged to a fight on Jan.26 and believes he was the intended target of the shots and not the other teen, according to the charges.
At the time of the shooting, two teenagers ages 15 and 16 were also arrested and booked into juvenile detention. There was no word on Monday whether they had also been charged.
