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SALT LAKE CITY — A woman who was critically injured after a shooting in Salt Lake City on Sunday has died from her injuries, and her boyfriend has been arrested for investigation of murder.
The shooting occurred at the Downtown West apartment complex at 718 N. 900 West about 8:25 p.m., police said in a news release. Officers responded to a report of a shooting and found 24-year-old Lyberdee Cisneros had been shot "at least three times" inside one of the units, according to a police booking affidavit. She was taken to a local hospital where she passed away.
Two men also in the apartment were detained by officers, including 20-year-old Jayden Wade Fernelius. Fernelius, Cisneros' boyfriend, was in possession of a gun when he was taken into custody and also had blood on his clothing, according to police.
Police say Cisneros and Fernelius had been in a relationship for about two years and lived together at the apartment. When a witness went to their apartment after hearing the gunshots, he told Fernelius to call 911.
"Jayden can be heard on the 911 call telling the witness he is going to kill himself. The witness tells him not to kill himself. Jayden then asks the witness, 'Why, so I can get thrown in prison?' The witness then asks Jayden if he shot the victim. Jayden replied, 'No, not me,'" according to the affidavit.
When questioned by detectives, Fernelius "changed his story multiple times," at one point stating he was outside the apartment when the shots were fired, and another point stating Cisneros shot herself after dropping the gun and picking it up, the affidavit states.
"Jayden said he and the victim argued and fought a lot," he told detectives, according to the affidavit. Police also noted that "the victim was shot multiple times in a manner not consistent with self-inflicted gunshot wounds."
Fernelius was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of murder.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call police at 801-799-3000.
Police urged anyone who has experienced domestic violence to call the number above and ask to speak with a victim advocate, or call a 24-hour hotline at 801-580-7969.
Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: Utah's confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
- Utah's statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
Contributing: Linda Williams
