Police arrest Murray man in robbery, shootout, killing at Kearns High parking lot

KEARNS — Police arrested a Murray man Monday in connection with a fatal shootout in the parking lot of Kearns High School Sunday that apparently started as an attempt to rob a man of bottles of champagne.

Brandon Ray Hollins, 18, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail early Monday for investigation of murder and aggravated robbery.

About 1:50 a.m. on Sunday, a 17-year-old boy was shot and killed at the high school, 5525 S. Cougar Lane, in what police described as an apparent robbery gone bad. His name has not yet been released.

Unified police say another 18-year-old man was "selling a product" from the trunk of his Chevy Malibu when a vehicle with four people showed up.

"Two people get out of that car and they both have guns," Unified Police Lt. Melody Cutler said. "One of the males that have a gun come around to the side of his car and are pointing a gun at him. So our 18-year-old male starts to run away while he's shooting at them," Cutler said.

A total of 26 shell casings were recovered by investigators, according to a police booking affidavit.

The man who was selling the champagne ran toward 5400 South and Cougar Lane and flagged down police and told them there had been a shooting, the affidavit states.

"(He) stated that he had come to Kearns High School to sell bottles of champagne to individuals he had been communicating with via Instagram," according to the affidavit. "(He) was in his vehicle in the parking lot when he observed two vehicles pull into Kearns High School parking lot. (He) stated he keeps the bottles of champagne in his trunk. (He) exited his vehicle and moved to his trunk. As (he) did this, he looked inside of the suspect vehicle, believed to be a silver four door passenger car, and saw a driver, a front seat passenger, and two males in the back seat, both wearing ski masks."

The two in the back seat exited with guns. The seller said he ran to the front seat of his car to grab his gun when one of the masked gunmen put a gun to his head and demanded that he open the trunk, the affidavit states. "He then began to shoot at the suspects who had come at him with their guns."

Detectives used school surveillance video to help verify the man's story. The victim was shot and killed near the driver's door of the Malibu. Police said they identified him, in part, by a tattoo. He is identified in the arrest report only by the initials "T.V."

"Investigators obtained information from Metro (Gang Unit) and Salt Lake City gangs that (the victim) had been hanging out with a male named Brandon Hollins," according to police. "(The victim) has been seen in Instagram videos posted recently with Brandon Hollins and associates of Hollins firing guns."

Detectives then confirmed that one of the vehicles seen in surveillance video in the school parking lot is registered to Hollins.

A search warrant was served at Hollins' home and a gun and ammunition were recovered. Investigators also found a bullet hole in the driver's door of his car, according to the affidavit.

"Brandon drove the vehicle to the scene and was a participant in an aggravated robbery. During the course of the robbery, T.V. was shot and killed by the individual that Brandon, T.V., and at least one other individual were trying to rob. Brandon has multiple videos and photos posted to his Instagram account that show him with guns and firing guns," the affidavit states. "Investigators also believe Brandon is responsible for a second armed robbery that Unified Police Department detectives are currently investigating."

The search continued Monday for at least one other person believed to be involved in the robbery.

The 18-year-old man who allegedly shot and killed the 17-year-old was not arrested. Police say they are looking at the possibility that the shooting was done in self-defense, but the ultimate determination will be made by the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.

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