Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Two Salt Lake men, both 18, face charges in two violent robberies.
- One robbery led to a shootout at Kearns High where one of their friends was shot and killed.
- A separate Kearns robbery led to one of their friends being shot in the leg.
KEARNS — Two Salt Lake men are facing criminal charges tying them to violent robberies, including a shootout that resulted in the death of a teenager.
Tesfaye Mebratu Shabi and Brandon Ray Hollins, both 18, were charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with two counts each of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony: and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony. They were also each charged with illegal shooting of a gun, a first-degree felony for Hollins and a third-degree felony for Shabi.
Investigators say both men were involved in a shootout in the parking lot of Kearns High School, 5525 S. Cougar Lane, late at night on May 18. Shabi, Hollins and two 17-year-old boys had arranged to buy champagne from a man with the intention of robbing him when he showed up, according to charging documents.
In the parking lot, Shabi and a 17-year-old boy with the initials "T.V." got out of Hollins' car and attempted to rob the 18-year-old who was selling champagne out of his trunk, the charges state.
"(The seller) stated that he knew it was a robbery when the back right passenger-side male exited the car with an (assault rifle) and the back left passenger had a handgun, both men were wearing masks," according to the charges.
The armed men ordered him to "open the trunk" and to "give it up, we gonna kill you," the charges allege.
The champagne seller grabbed his own gun and began shooting as he ran from the scene. He ran to 5400 South, where he waved down a police officer.
T.V. was shot once in the chest and was pronounced dead at a local hospital after being dropped off by his friends. The 18-year-old champagne seller who allegedly shot and killed T.V. was not arrested. Police say they are looking at the possibility that the shooting was self-defense, but the ultimate determination will be made by the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.
Investigators recovered a total of 26 shell casings. "Officers located several spent pistol casings, an unspent rifle casing, and one brass slug," the charges state.
Shabi, Hollins and a third man who was 17 at the time of the shooting were initially arrested for investigation of murder.
As police investigated the shooting at the Kearns parking lot, they learned that the same three men arrested were also involved in a separate robbery and shooting on April 16 at 3675 S. 900 East. In that incident, the three had arranged to buy THC vape cartridges from a teenager. The trio tried to rob the teen, which resulted in the 17-year-old boy, who was also involved in the Kearns parking lot incident, being shot in the leg, according to charging documents.
"During the sale, occupants in Hollins' car attempted to rob the passengers in the seller's car. A struggle ensued over a gun between Hollins and the seller, which resulted in the gun going off and a (17)-year-old, who was in Hollins' car, being shot in the leg," the charges state.
"Detectives believe that Hollins may be involved in multiple other robberies in the valley. Further investigation is pending. Hollins was an active participant in the robberies that resulted in one friend being shot in the leg and the other friend losing his life," prosecutors noted.
"Shabi was an active participant in both incidents. Shabi fired his gun while out in the community, not caring for the safety or lives of others," the charging documents state.
