Charges filed against alleged gunman who 'wasn't going to let that slide'

SANDY — A Sandy man who prosecutors say "aggressively engaged with and shot at two strangers during a verbal disagreement," injuring one of his victims, now faces a half-dozen felony charges.

Carl Devon Hardy, 30, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with shooting a gun and causing serious injury, a first-degree felony; aggravated assault resulting in serious injury and being a restricted person in possession of a gun, second-degree felonies; and aggravated assault and two counts of illegal discharge of a gun, third-degree felonies.

On Sept. 17, police were called to 8372 S. Bellingham Drive after several people reported hearing gunshots. Responding officers found two crime scenes: one in a grocery store parking lot and the other at a nearby apartment complex, according to a police booking affidavit.

Two men in their 20s told police they were shot at. One man was taken to a local hospital to be treated for a gunshot wound to his foot. Investigators found three shell casings in the parking lot, charging documents state.

The victims told police they were in the parking lot of the grocery store when Hardy "came out of a nearby apartment wanting to fight," according to the charges. Two other men also came out of the apartment and tried to calm Hardy down.

Both parties separated. But when the victims returned to the parking lot a short time later, Hardy again "came out of the apartment complex and started shooting," the charges state.

The victims ran and "jumped into the nearby canal because they thought they were being followed. (They) swam in the canal, then hid behind vehicles in a nearby dealership where they were located by officers," according to charging documents.

Detectives interviewed others who were with Hardy that night. They claimed people on the apartment balcony got into a verbal confrontation with the victims, and Hardy told the others "he wasn't going to let that slide," the charges state. After initially convincing Hardy to calm down and go back inside the apartment, the friends later "heard rounds fired in the breezeway," followed by Hardy returning to the apartment.

"(He) told everyone to leave, and said that he was leaving and that he would be turning off his phone," the charges state. "Hardy's vehicle was later located in Evanston, Wyoming, and Hardy had checked into a hotel room under the name 'Carl Devon.'"

On Sept. 20, Hardy went to the Sandy Police Department to turn himself in.

"Multiple witnesses provided statements that Hardy shot three rounds from a firearm in the direction of the alleged victims, ultimately striking one of them in the foot, requiring surgical intervention. Hardy presents a significant risk of danger to the community if he is released on bail as he aggressively engaged with and shot at two strangers during a verbal disagreement. This incident could have caused death to either of the alleged victims, and Hardy put the community at risk of death or injury as this occurred in an area with multiple businesses and apartments nearby," prosecutors state in their charges while requesting that Hardy be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of posting bail pending trial.

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