Two in custody after two injured, one killed in Orem shooting

OREM, Utah — Officials with the Orem Police Department said an 18-year-old man and a juvenile suspect turned themselves in and are in custody after a shooting that injured two and killed one person Wednesday night.

Police said Sidney Rodriguez and his juvenile brother were booked into the Utah County Jail on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated murder and three counts of attempted aggravated murder, along with a charge of obstruction of justice.

Officers responded to the area of 1780 North and 165 East around 7 p.m. Wednesday after receiving reports of shots being fired.

Witnesses at the scene told police they saw two individuals with firearms get into a passenger car.

Police also responded to 1274 N. State Street and found three juvenile victims with gunshot wounds and a fourth juvenile in the car.

One of those juveniles died from his wounds while two were taken to an area hospital with gunshot wounds to the leg and neck.

The fourth juvenile told police the incident began as “a drug deal initiated by himself.”

According to court documents, that juvenile contacted Rodriguez through Snapchat to initiate the drug deal in a church parking lot near 1780 North and 165 East.

Police said Rodriguez entered the victim’s car before another suspect exited the suspects’ vehicle and approached the victim’s car with a rifle.

“The suspect put the rifle inside the window and demanded the ‘dope’ and threatened to shoot,” police said.

Officers said a struggle for the rifle ensued, and a shot was fired, striking one of the victims in the car in the right leg.

Police said two more shots were fired before the victims fled the scene in their vehicle.

Later that night, officers said a juvenile suspect turned himself in after being driven to the police station by his mother.

The suspect told police he and his brother, who was later identified as Rodriguez, had set up the drug deal.

“When his brother got into the victim’s car he stated he got out of the car unbeknownst to his brother with the rifle and put the rifle inside the window and demanded the drugs and the cash,” police said in the probable cause statement.

The suspect then told officers about the struggle for the rifle, which he said fell in the car.

“Suspect 1 said he heard 2 more round(s) fire from the rifle and feared for his brother, so he pulled a handgun out of his waistband,” police said. “The victim(s’) vehicle was backing out to drive away and suspect 1 stated he fired 10 rounds into the car because his brother was still in there along with the rifle. At this point, suspect 1 said his brother jumped out of the moving car with the rifle and once his brother was out, he fired 4 more rounds at the vehicle.”

The suspect then told police he, his brother and the driver drove to Spanish Fork and threw the guns into Utah Lake.

Rodriguez was taken into custody and “admitted to officers of the drug deal and the details were consistent with both his brother’s story,” officers said in the probable cause statement.

Police said Rodriguez was then informed about his brother’s admission and “then changes his story from what he said at the beginning of this being a premeditated robbery and says that his juvenile brother is telling the truth and that he did not know that his brother was planning on robbing the victims.”

Officers said Rodriguez said “no one was supposed to get hurt” before blaming the victims for causing the shots to be fired when they grabbed the gun.

Police are still searching for the driver, who was identified as Chance Nuttall, 20. He may be heading to Las Vegas or California in an unknown method of transportation. Contact Sgt. Luangsawasdi at 801-500-7206 with any potential leads.