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- Jordan William Fisher, 17, has been certified as an adult and was charged Tuesday with murder.
- Fisher and a 16-year-old were involved in the shooting death of Rory Swimm, 23, in 2023, police say.
- Both were 15 at the time.
SALT LAKE CITY — One of two teenage boys arrested in the shooting death of a man in 2023 has been ordered to stand trial as an adult.
Jordan William Fisher, now 17, of West Valley City, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony; possession of a weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony; and drug possession, a class B misdemeanor.
A second boy, 16, is facing charges in juvenile court in the same case.
On Oct. 13, Rory Swimm, 23, was shot and killed about 1:45 a.m. near 600 East and 200 South. A few days later, Salt Lake police announced that two 15-year-old boys had been arrested for investigation of murder and booked into juvenile detention.
Officers arrived to find Swimm had been shot in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts.
One of Swimm's friends told investigators that they had been at a bar earlier in the evening and then went to a 7-Eleven store afterward.
"While at the 7-Eleven, they encountered a group of three kids who were driving a white SUV, and there was a brief interaction between them outside the convenience store. (The friend) stated that his friends exchanged words with the kids, and the kids drove off," according to charging documents.
But as Swimm and his friends were walking home, the teens returned and confronted them again. One of the boys fired a shot at Swimm before they all drove away, the charges state. Salt Lake police previously said investigators believe the boys had been looking for Swimm and his friends.
Another one of Swimm's friends told police that "he and his friends began approaching the group, and when they were within approximately 30 feet of the group, the suspects ran back to their car. (He) stated that he then heard a loud noise that he initially thought could be a firework, but he then realized that Swimm was down on the ground and he and his friends began trying to help him," according to the charges.
Officers from the Granite School District Police Department helped Salt Lake officers identify Fisher as a possible suspect. A search warrant was served on his West Valley home where a gun was recovered, the charges state.
One of the teens in the vehicle with Fisher told detectives that they got into an argument "with an unknown group of drunk people" and one of them spit on his car, according to charging documents.
When they spotted the group again and Fisher fired a shot, "he asked Fisher, 'Did you aim, or did you shoot into the air?' (The teen) states that Fisher told him he shot into the air," the charges say.
Charges were originally filed against Fisher in juvenile court. But following a hearing to have him certified as an adult, a judge ruled that "the prosecuting attorney has already met the burden by a preponderance of the evidence that it is contrary to the best interest of the minor and the public for the juvenile court to retain jurisdiction," according to court documents.
Fisher's first appearance in adult court is scheduled for Jan. 6.
