- Two more men were arrested in what police believe was a gang-related shooting in Kearns in March.
- Three men now face multiple felony charges.
- Investigators believe the shooting was prompted by internal gang conflict.
KEARNS — Investigators say an internal conflict between separate factions of a street gang may have led to a man being shot and stabbed in Kearns in March.
Gang detectives with the Unified Police Department, along with members of the U.S. Marshals Service, on Wednesday arrested two more men — Diego Cruz-Soto, 18, and Angel Reymundo Garcia-Cortes, 20, both of Kearns — in connection with the shooting.
The arrests come on the heels of Jose Enrique Gutierrez-Gonzalez, 28, of Kearns, being taken into custody in Arizona on Tuesday. All three are documented gang members, according to police.
The men were each charged in 3rd District Court on June 12 with attempted murder and three counts of discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, first-degree felonies; and obstruction of justice and aggravated assault, second-degree felonies. Garcia received an additional charge of being a restricted person in possession of a gun, a third-degree felony. The charges were sealed until the trio could be located and arrested.
The men are linked to a shooting on March 19 at 4055 West and 4865 South. The incident prompted three schools to go into a secure protocol as a precaution.
On that afternoon, a man was shot after being approached by two people. The victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Additional information about the man was not immediately released. Investigators believe that after the shooting, the two alleged assailants got into a vehicle driven by a third person and fled.
The victim later told police that he was approached by two men while walking down the street who asked him if he "banged," according to charging documents.
"The male wearing a blue hoodie then produced what appeared to be a revolver and fired multiple rounds at him at close range. (The victim) reported that the second male, wearing a light-colored shirt, rushed toward him and stabbed him before both suspects fled," the charges state. "(The victim) sustained significant injuries, including a long bone fracture, hemothorax, liver injury, and hollow viscus abdominal trauma."
According to investigators, the victim's brother is a "well-known" gang member currently serving time in the Utah State Prison. The brother belongs to the same gang as the alleged assailants, but is a member of a different faction, the charges state.
"Through multiple investigations by the Metro Gang Unit, they have learned there is currently internal conflict between members of (the two gangs)," according to charging documents. "Detectives with the Metro Gang Unit have obtained information of a...peace treaty that calls for an immediate stop to any (gang on gang) violence. Recently, there have been escalating issues between (the two gangs who are from the same faction) causing tension and riffs, given the standing peace treaty on the streets and in the prisons."
Using surveillance video, license plate reading machines and cellular phone data, detectives determined that "Garcia-Cortes traveled from Utah to Texas shortly after the shooting," flying out of Salt Lake City on March 21 and arriving in Arlington, Texas, later that day, the charges state. Investigators also learned that Gutierrez-Gonzalez drove to Arizona on March 24.
"Gang activity continues to present a substantial and growing public safety threat in Utah. The Utah Statewide Information and Analysis Center's Organized Crime Threat Assessment assessed with 'high confidence' that the gang threat will remain substantial due to the glamorization of gang culture, recruitment efforts, the young age of gang members, attempts to gain street credibility, and the continued demand for illicit drugs and firearms. The report further noted that gang membership is associated with a higher likelihood of violence," prosecutors wrote in their charging documents.
The shooting prompted the Granite School District to initiate a "secure protocol" for West Kearns Elementary, David Gourley Elementary and Kearns Junior High. That meant all outside doors were locked and no one was allowed to enter or exit the schools. Classes, however, proceeded as usual inside.
A school district spokesman said this was done out of "an abundance of caution," and that there was never a direct threat to any students or employees.
