Salt Lake County shaken after deadly weekend of gun violence
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Back-to-back shootings at crowded gatherings in Salt Lake County last weekend left four people dead and community members reeling.
The big picture: Both shootings killed innocent bystanders, including a man at a protest and an infant at a festival, heightening fears about gun violence and public safety at community events.
Zoom in: The first shooting occurred Saturday at a "No Kings" protest in downtown Salt Lake City, where a 39-year-old local fashion designer was fatally shot by one of the event's peacekeepers. The peacekeeper intended to target a suspicious man carrying an AR-15-style rifle, according to police.
- In a separate shooting Sunday at WestFest, an annual festival in West Valley City, three people died, including two bystanders: a 41-year-old woman and an 8-month-old baby.
- The shooting occurred after two groups got into a verbal argument, according to authorities.
- When police tried to break up the altercation, a 16-year-old pulled out a firearm and fired shots, police said.
What they're saying: "Sadly, this is the third statement I have released related to gun violence fatalities that occurred this past weekend," Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said Monday.
- Before the shooting at Saturday's protest, Wilson commented on the attacks on two Democratic Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses: "Violence is never the answer. We the people can, should, and must do better."
- Utah House Democratic leaders called the string of tragedies "heartbreaking, but not surprising."
- "The conditions for this kind of violence have been building for years, driven by a toxic combination of hateful rhetoric and easy access to firearms," they said.