Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- West Jordan police are searching for a suspect in a shooting that critically injured a 15-year-old boy.
- Giovanni Williamson, 18, was arrested for investigation of obstruction, drug possession, and gun charges.
- Police are seeking the public's assistance, saying the victim and Williamson are uncooperative.
WEST JORDAN — West Jordan police on Thursday are continuing to look for the person or people involved in the shooting of a 15-year-old boy.
The shooting happened about 11:20 p.m. Wednesday near 3400 W. Speed Skate Circle (6600 South). Police received a 911 call of a possible shooting and arrived to find the teenager outside with a gunshot wound. Police did not say Thursday how many shots they believe were fired.
The boy was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. West Jordan Police Sgt. Andrew Hercules says two others were with the teen when emergency crews arrived. One of them, 18-year-old Giovanni Williamson, was arrested for investigation of obstruction of justice, drug possession with intent to distribute and being a restricted person in possession of a gun.
Police say the gunman drove off after the shooting. It was not immediately known if other people were with the gunman. West Jordan police on Thursday had few details about the incident to release, noting that the victim, Williamson and the third person were not being cooperative with detectives.
Williamson "had arrived to the area and set up a drug deal with two large ziplock amounts of marijuana," according to a police booking affidavit. When the person buying the drugs arrived, he shot the teen and fled, police say.
"When investigators asked (Williamson) who he had set up the drug deal with and who shot the victim, (he) withheld that information so it was unknown to police who was the shooting suspect," the affidavit states.
Witnesses said Williamson had been seen earlier in the day with a pistol. Once investigators were in the house and received a search warrant, a backpack was searched for a weapon and the marijuana was found.
Police are asking anyone with information or any resident who may have seen something or had something suspicious recorded on their security or doorbell cameras to contact them at 801-840-4000.
Williamson also currently faces a charge of failing to stop for police, a class A misdemeanor, for allegedly leading Taylorsville police on a chase in a stolen vehicle last June. The chase came to an end after the car occupied by Williamson and two other "young males" had the tires spiked and then crashed into another vehicle, according to police.
