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WEST VALLEY CITY — Several partygoers were arrested early Saturday after a shootout between rival gang members critically injured one person inside a hotel in West Valley City, police said.
About 3:30 a.m., dispatchers received multiple calls from occupants at the Extended Stay America, 2310 W. City Center Ct., that numerous shots had been fired on the third floor, West Valley Police Lt. Todd Gray said.
“A large group of people were seen running in different directions yelling and screaming,” Gray said.
Police believe a large party was occurring in one room with gang members in attendance, when affiliates of another gang who were staying in another hotel room arrived and realized there were rival gang members there.
“Some kind of fight ensued in the hallway,” he said. “The hallway itself of the hotel, it appears that once they were outside in the hallway from the room, an ensuing gun battle continued down the hallway. It’s a miracle that other tenants inside the hotel were not injured from the rounds being fired.”
No gunshot victims were found inside the hotel. Police learned that those involved in the shootout had dropped one man off at a hospital in critical condition, Gray said, but his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.
About 40 officers from other agencies responded to assist, according to the lieutenant.
When officers arrived on the third floor, other occupants of the hotel directed police to where the shooting had occurred. Police found a group of about 45 to 50 people there inside a room having a party.
Several people ran away the the officers, Gray said, but police were able to detain them. Many of the partygoers were also “physically uncooperative” with police and were taken into custody.
Several were undergoing interviews Saturday morning, Gray said. Police did not yet know who the actual shooter was. Weapons were recovered from the scene.
No arrests had yet been made in connection with the shootout, but several arrests had been made for inciting a riot and resisting arrest.
