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DRAPER — Prosecutors have requested that a man accused of shooting at a pizza store that was occupied and open for business — an incident that allegedly started because his order wasn't ready — be held without bail.
Paul Edward Fracasso, 32, of Salt Lake City, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with illegal discharge of a firearm, a second-degree felony; and two counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony.
About 7 p.m. Sunday, police say Fracasso and another man went to Papa John's, 767 E. 12300 South, and told an employee that they had placed an order over the phone. But because the electronic ordering system was down, the store never received the order and the pizza wasn't made, according to charging documents.
The men demanded their money back, but the employee said they would have to call the number they placed their order with to get a refund.
"Fracasso and the other male became even more angry when they thought that another employee … was laughing at them," the charges state.
That employee later told police he was talking to his girlfriend and was laughing at something she said.
Fracasso yelled at the employees before leaving, threatening to beat the one who was laughing, the charges allege. One of the employees was concerned enough by the threats that he called police and showed the officer who responded video surveillance of the confrontation.
After the officer had left, the employee who had initial contact with Fracasso went out back for a break, "when he heard about five to six gunshots coming from the front of the store," according to the charges.
Two other employees who were in the store concurred that about 30 minutes after the initial confrontation, they heard "loud pops go off and saw the window shatter," prompting both to "hit the ground and (crawl) to safety together," the charges state. One employee then saw "blood dripping down his face and found glass embedded in his forehead."
The employee in the back of the store walked to the front and saw a man on a dirt bike leave the parking lot. Detectives later collected four shell casings near the Papa John's and found bullet holes in the walls.
A Draper police officer parked nearby heard the shots and immediately responded to the area. As he was driving, he spotted an open garage near 12250 South and 900 East and recognized the two men standing there from a surveillance picture from the store that had been sent to other officers by that point, the charges state.
Both men became defensive and argumentative and Fracasso tried to close the garage on the officer who "pulled out his Taser and pointed it at Fracasso," according to the charges.
A .40-caliber round was found on the floor of the garage, and numerous rounds were found in the center console of Fracasso's vehicle along with a .40-caliber handgun, the court documents say. Police said they found clothing that matched the accused gunman's and a dirt bike.
Prosecutors have requested that Fracasso be held without bail in the Salt Lake County Jail pending his court appearance.
