1 killed, 1 in custody in Sandy shooting after possible road rage incident
Oct 26, 2022, 11:56 AM | Updated: May 21, 2023, 4:31 pm
SANDY, Utah — One person was killed in a shooting that happened near Interstate 15 after a possible road rage incident, according to the Sandy Police Department.
Officers said the shooting happened at 10640 S. Holiday Park Drive at approximately 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
“Road rage isn’t anything that is new to us. We deal with it weekly,” Sgt. Greg Moffitt with Sandy Police Department said. “In the street was a male on the ground.”
The victim, identified as a man in his 40s, was shot at least once before being taken to an area hospital, where he later died. One person has been taken into custody.
BREAKING: 40-yr-old man was shot and killed after a possible road rage incident that started on I-15 and ended in front of a gas station on 160 West and 10600 South in Sandy.
A man has been taken into police custody. @KSL5TV @kslnewsradio @KSLcom pic.twitter.com/ZZbB7un8Jt
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) October 26, 2022
“It quickly transitioned from a shooting to a homicide investigation,” Moffitt said.
Police said the shooting might have stemmed from a road rage incident involving two trucks on I-15 before the drivers exited to 10600 South, but that remains under investigation.
“It’s tragic that a level of impatience would lead to such an aggression.”
There was a passenger in one of the trucks that witnessed everything. Police are still looking for anyone who has cell phone video and surveillance video from the area.
The shooting happened in the street next to Legends Pub and Grill which wasn’t open yet. However, Legends Pub and Grill Manager, Robbie Komarnicki was there.
“I did notice these two vehicles behind us pull in rather fast,” Komarnicki said. “I was cleaning. I heard some popping noise.”
Wednesday afternoon police booked 32-year-old Rodrigo Monroy of Riverton into jail on suspicion of murder and felony discharge of a gun.
“Monroy stated, post Miranda Warning, that he ‘brake checked’ (the other vehicle) while on the freeway,” Sandy Police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
Police write in the jail booking document that the other driver “suggested to (Monroy) to pull over” and that Monroy followed him off the freeway.
Once both trucks were parked, the other driver got out and walked up to the driver’s side window of Monroy’s truck, police wrote. The other driver struck Monroy’s truck with his hands and asked what he was doing.
“Monroy then pulled a gun out from under the driver seat and pointed it at (the other driver), telling him to back away,” the affidavit states. “(The other driver) attempted to grab the gun and a short struggle ensued through the open window.”
Police write that Monroy pulled the gun away, leaned away and fired once, hitting the other man in the chest.
“Monroy stated it all happened so fast,” the document goes on to say. “Monroy never left the driver seat of his vehicle until after the shooting occurred.”
Police have not yet released the name of the dead man.
Komarnicki said police arrived very quickly but that a shooting like this is not common.
“It’s unheard of, it’s not common by any means. The conversations we’ve been having inside were not about that, but about the families that are all going to be affected because of this. It’s unfortunate.”
“Our hearts are broken for everyone that’s involved in this because there are definitely some families and some lives that have been ruined,” Moffitt said.
Police are asking people to calm down while on the roads.
“We’re seeing that increasingly, more frequently, how people are becoming so aggressive in driving and this is a perfect example of worst case scenario. It’s incredibly unfortunate,” Moffitt said.
