Police respond to a shooting in Kearns, resulting in the death of one person. (KSL TV Andrew Adams)
KEARNS, Utah– A shooting in Kearns resulted in the death of one person and has left two other people in serious condition, says Unified Police.
The victim who was killed has been identified as Alonso Gerardo Garcia-Mendoza, 32, from Kearns.
Police say the attack happened in the parking lot of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints building near 5240 West and 5400 South. Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera says two groups of people confronted each other on the south end of the lot.
“There were a couple of cars here in the parking lot [and there was] some sort of altercation. Several shots were fired,” Rivera said.
Police believe the driver may have crashed into a wall after he was hit. That man was pronounced dead on the scene. Rivera says the scene was chaotic after that, with some people running away on foot while another victim may have attempted to carjack a white Dodge Charger to get away. Investigators also believe one of the victims climbed over a fence to escape, but he may have returned after the suspects fled. Both of those victims were taken to the hospital, one in critical condition and the other in serious.
As for the suspects, Rivera says they don’t have a lot to go on. They’re also not sure what led up to the attack.
She says, “We also know there is another vehicle. That is a red, oxidized Saturn possibly occupied by four people and the driver could be an African-American male.”
Investigators will go door-to-door to find anyone with any information about what happened before the shots rang out, and to see if anyone may have caught the suspects on video.
“What we would like is if there is anybody in this area that has cameras and you happened to see something on your camera, give us a call,” she says.