Police, prosecutors concerned over recent spike in youth violence

SALT LAKE CITY — A series of deadly and violent crimes involving youth and gangs over the summer has police and prosecutors concerned.

The latest case happened Sunday afternoon at the Monaco Apartment Complex in Millcreek where a 14-year-old boy was shot and killed in front of Nicholas Turley’s apartment.

“I heard roughly about five shots,” said Turley. “I saw the victim lying face down just below our balcony.”

Sgt. Aymee Race, with the Unified Police Department, told KSL TV that the deadly and tragic crime was the result of gang violence. The four suspects are still on the loose. Race said the suspects are believed to be in their mid to late teens to early 20s.

A troubling, concerning trend

On Sunday night in Sandy, a candlelight vigil was held for a 16-year-old boy, Jordan High School student, stabbed to death on Friday night.

On Aug. 3 at the Mt. Olympus trailhead, a 18-year-old man was shot and killed. The suspects are all known gang members, according to Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera.

“These are violent individuals, they belong to a violent gang,” she said. “What is increasing more than anything is the amount of juveniles who are being recruited into these gangs. We are finding out there are more juveniles involved and that is concerning.”

On July 13, a 17-year-old boy, a Judge Memorial High School student, was shot and killed in a West Valley Winco parking lot.

And on May 30, three people were shot at a Trax Station in Murray. One of the victims who survived was 14.

These are just a few of the examples of recent cases that has Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill concerned.

“It is something we are taking very seriously,” he said. “We are going through tremendous growth, we have easy access to guns, and we are no longer a sleepy little town in the Intermountain West. In the old days, someone didn’t agree with you they punched you, they fought with you, maybe you ended up with a broken bone, now kids are pulling out guns and shooting.”

New legislation

That’s why Gill says right now he is working with members of the Salt Lake County Metro Gang Unit and lawmakers to draft new legislation, that would go after adult gang members who are recruiting teenagers to do their dirty work. Turning a misdemeanor into a felony.

“If I am an adult, I can’t pull the trigger, but I can get a 15 year-old to pull the trigger because they are going to go into the juvenile system. Now it becomes a third-degree felony,” and Gill said.

Gill added that if someone is killed it could be a first-degree felony.

“I think it’s an opportunity for our policy makers, to make a really intentional investment in a proactive way on addressing this issue,” he said.