Police trying to trace gun used in accidental shooting

Police trying to trace gun used in accidental shooting

(Silas Walker, KSL, File)


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

WEST VALLEY CITY — West Valley police are trying to trace a gun that ended up in the hands of a teenage girl who accidentally shot her friend.

On Jan. 30, police were called to Jordan Valley Medical Center West Valley Campus, 3460 S. Pioneer Parkway, where a 16-year-old boy was being treated for a gunshot wound to his arm.

The boy at first told police he was accidentally shot by another teen while inside a vehicle parked at Woodledge Park, 5210 W. 4310 South. But the boy later admitted that his girlfriend, who was also in the car, was the one who shot him, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in 3rd District Court.

The 16-year-old girl told police that she was handed the gun by a 15-year-old boy and then accidentally shot her boyfriend "when she pulled the trigger thinking the gun was unloaded," the affidavit states.

Investigators questioned the teens about where the gun came from. One told detectives he bought it from someone off Snapchat for $250, according to the warrant. Police searched the vehicle used to drive the teen the hospital, which was still in the hospital parking lot, and reported finding a Glock 9mm handgun under the front passenger seat.

A background check "revealed the firearm had been reported stolen in 2014 in West Valley City. A second firearm … was also located beneath the front passenger seat," the affidavit states.

The accidental shooting occurred just six days before another accidental shooting in West Valley City that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy.

Marquez Grajeda, 15, was shot in the head from close range and killed on Feb. 5 while inside a bedroom at a house at 1347 W. 2320 South. A 14-year-old boy who claimed that the shooting was an accident has been charged with manslaughter.

On March 18, Unified police were called to 5007 W. 5400 South in Kearns where Jerrad Jacobsen, 16, was shot and killed. The incident was originally thought to be an accidental shooting, but three days later, police returned to the house and arrested Jerrad's 15-year-old stepbrother.

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
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.

STAY IN THE KNOW

Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast