- An Ogden man, shot in the head in western Weber County on Sunday, was in dire shape Tuesday, a family friend said.
- That man's 5-year-old daughter, shot in the leg, is at home recuperating from her injury.
- The shooting, which also injured a second man, occurred at a clandestine racing competition, the family friend says.
OGDEN — At least two of the three people who were shot at an apparent clandestine street racing competition over the weekend in western Weber County — a man and his young daughter — were innocent bystanders
Jesus Cuadras, of Ogden, is brain-dead and not likely to survive, while Cuadras' daughter, Ximena Cuadras Ambriz, 5, is out of the hospital and back at home, according to Dayana Cubillán, a family friend. Cuadras suffered a gunshot wound to the head in the incident early Sunday; his daughter was shot in the leg.
"We're shocked because we saw (Cuadras) Saturday. He works with us in the company, and then they tell us this happened," said Cubillán. She's also friends with Cuadras' wife, Paola Herrera Cuadras, and is helping get word out as family members of the two victims seek donations to help with medical costs.
Cubillán said Cuadras' situation is dire and the GoFundMe campaign* launched by the man's wife used strong language to describe his condition. He's 22 years old, grew up in Ogden and has been working at a local pet food manufacturer.
"My husband, Jesus, was shot in the head in a senseless act of violence. He will not make it. Right now, he is in a coma in the ICU (intensive care unit). He's leaving me, his wife, our 3-month(-old) baby and his 5-year-old behind. The emotional toll has been heavy, and the financial burden is overwhelming," it reads. It goes on to say that any donations will be used for hospital and funeral expenses.
A separate GoFundMe campaign* has been launched for Ximena, who was earlier hospitalized at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City but has since been released. "She's going to need therapy, but the girl is out of danger," Cubillán said.
Weber County sheriff's officials responded to the shooting after receiving a report of the incident about 1 a.m. Sunday. The shooting occurred in the area of 9300 W. 900 South, an isolated area of western Weber County near Western Zirconium, a company close to the banks of the Great Salt Lake.
A third person, a male, suffered a gunshot wound to his shoulder, according to the sheriff's office, and was hospitalized.
Sheriff's deputies on Tuesday didn't respond to a query seeking an update on the situation, but Cubillán offered some details, relayed to her by Herrera Cuadras. Cuadras and his daughter are fans of the clandestine car races held in the area and had gone to watch them, Cubillán said. Cuadras is the girl's father, but Herrera Cuadras isn't her biological mother.
"According to Paola, he always brought her but could never imagine this was going to happen," Cubillán said. Herrera Cuadras' sister also attended.
The situation took a violent turn after two women at the event got into a fight, prompting their respective partners to get involved in the apparent altercation as well. "Then they pulled their guns out and started to shoot in the air. It wasn't even at each other, but in the air. Sadly, you never know when things are going to happen," Cubillán said.
Around 15 bullets were fired, two of them striking Cuadras and his daughter, sitting on the man's shoulders. They had no involvement in the fray and had no relationship with the gunmen.
A brief video of the moment the shooting occurred, posted by Utahzolanos, portrays a chaotic scene with a lot of gunfire in the background. Utahzolanos is a social media company geared toward the Venezuelan community, which also spoke with Cubillán. Cuadras was born in the United States and is of Mexican descent.
Cubillán doesn't know much about the car races held in western Weber County, just that those who take part use the location because it is isolated.
"They do it far away where there aren't people, there isn't anything. There are no witnesses, there aren't any cameras," she said. Most of the people who attend are "younger Americans."
In the sheriff's statement from Sunday about the shooting, officials ask anyone with information on the matter to reach out to Weber County dispatchers at 801-395-8221 and reference case 25WC30717. Cubillán has no inkling of the identity of those who fired the shots.
"We really don't know who they were or anything. Because this was a clandestine race, there were all kinds of people. We don't know exactly the nationality of the people who fired the shots," she said.
Cubillán described Cuadras as focused on work and supporting his family. "He was a calm guy; he didn't get in problems with anyone. He worked," she said.
His wife, meantime, is struggling with the situation. "She's sad, devastated," Cubillán said.
