Freeway gunman hit at least 5 vehicles, injuring 2 motorists, Utah troopers say

Two people were injured after someone shot four vehicles on I-15 between Nephi and Scipio in Juab County early Tuesday.

Two people were injured after someone shot four vehicles on I-15 between Nephi and Scipio in Juab County early Tuesday. (Andrew Adams, KSL-TV)


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NEPHI — The Utah Highway Patrol was looking Tuesday for a gunman who shot and hit at least five vehicles early Tuesday on I-15, hitting and injuring two people in those vehicles.

The series of shootings began about 3:15 a.m. and continued over the next 30 minutes. According to witness statements, a light colored SUV would come up from behind random vehicles at a high rate of speed and then shoot at the vehicles while passing, said UHP Sgt. Cameron Roden. One witness described the gunman's vehicle as "something similar to an older looking Jeep Cherokee."

On Wednesday, troopers confirmed the gunman had hit a fifth vehicle described as a box truck. The driver was not injured.

It was unknown if there was more than one person in the gunman's vehicle. Several vehicles were shot multiple times, Roden said.

The shootings all happened between Nephi and Scipio, a stretch of approximately 40 miles. Two vehicles were hit in the Nephi area, one just north fo Scipio and one in the southern part of Utah County, said Roden. Three of those vehicles were headed south when they were shot and one was going north, the UHP stated. Two people in separate vehicles, a man and a woman, were hit, Roden said. Their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

"The last report was that the suspect was southbound on I-15, but the last reported vehicle that was shot was northbound. The current whereabouts of the shooter are unknown at this time," according to a prepared statement from UHP.

All of the drivers whose vehicles were hit were able to pull over safely and did not crash, said Roden. Some drivers initially thought something was thrown at their vehicles and didn't realize they had been shot at until they stopped and saw the bullet holes, he said.

Roden said the Utah Department of Transportation does have cameras in that area. Troopers were looking into whether those cameras or if any businesses along the freeway with surveillance cameras might have captured any of the incidents.

Troopers urged the public to remain alert in that area and report any suspicious activity. Those with information about the shooting or those who witnessed it are asked to call UHP dispatch at 801-887-3800. Roden said if someone was driving in that area Tuesday morning and discovers later that their vehicle was shot, to also call.

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Ashley Imlay is an evening news manager for KSL.com. A lifelong Utahn, Ashley has also worked as a reporter for the Deseret News and is a graduate of Dixie State University.
Pat Reavy is a longtime police and courts reporter. He joined the KSL.com team in 2021, after many years of reporting at the Deseret News and KSL NewsRadio before that.

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