UPDATE: One person shot, one in custody in Eagle Mountain area; lockout at schools lifted
Dec 12, 2022, 2:49 PM | Updated: Dec 13, 2022, 4:17 pm
After one person was shot, police were in a standoff with a suspect while four area schools in the Eagle Mountain area entered a safety protocol. (Andrew Adams/KSL TV)
(Andrew Adams/KSL TV)
EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah — One person was shot and another has been taken into custody in Eagle Mountain Monday afternoon.
“I heard a gunshot and screaming coming from my neighbor’s house,” a neighbor in the area told KSL TV.
As neighbors took cover inside their homes, dozens of deputies and SWAT officers converged on an apparent family dispute.
“During the course of that dispute, one person got a gun, fired multiple rounds,” said Sgt. Spencer Cannon with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. “One of those rounds struck one person that was involved there.”
“He’d been shot in his side,” the neighbor recounted. “There was blood on his body.”
One woman who didn’t want to be shown on camera showed up to help shortly afterward.
“The homeowner was shot by his brother-in-law,” the neighbor said. “The dispute was over the care of the elderly father.”
“Whatever the argument was, obviously nothing justifies what happened,” Cannon said. “Pulling out a firearm in a situation like this is never OK.”
Four schools in the area were placed on lockout as police worked to contain the shooter.
Police are on the scene at a domestic incident in the vicinity of Kestrel Way. Residents are asked to avoid this area. CVHS, Mountain Trails Elementary and Eagle Valley Elementary are on Secure Mode as a precaution, but no schools are involved in the incident. Updates to follow.
— Eagle Mountain City (@eaglemtncity) December 12, 2022
By 4:25 p.m., Eagle Mountain announced the scene was clear and the suspect had been taken into custody.
ALL CLEAR: Suspect is in custody and was taken without incident. Schools are now open and students are free to be picked up and Pony Express Blvd is now open to motorists. Watch for alerts from Alpine School District for further updates.
— Eagle Mountain City (@eaglemtncity) December 12, 2022
He was identified Monday night as 72-year-old Mark Samuel Roberts, of Eagle Mountain.
According to Cannon, Roberts is being booked on several serious charges, including attempted homicide, as well as firearms and domestic violence-related charges.
Yesterday in a press release I incorrectly listed the age of the victim in the shooting in Eagle Mountain as 61 years old. He is actually 72 years old. He is expected to recover from his injuries.
— Spencer Cannon (@SGTCannonPIO) December 13, 2022
Even several houses away, people remained rattled hours later.
“Man, it’s always the nicest people, and it’s just heartbreaking,” said Brittany Butts.
UPDATE: All clear given with suspected shooter taken into custody peacefully, per sheriff’s spokesman @KSL5TV https://t.co/wTTm8l5rDc
— Andrew Adams (@AndrewAdamsKSL) December 12, 2022
As of 4 p.m., the district said students attending Cedar Valley High, Frontier Middle, Eagle Valley Elementary and Mountain Trails Elementary schools could be picked up by a parent or legal guardian as long as they are not walking home. Buses will be running to areas outside of the Eagle Park area.
Students who cannot be picked up will be held at the school until they can be picked up by a parent or guardian or until it is safe for the buses to run to their neighborhood.
Previously, the Alpine School District said four schools in the area were on lockout, meaning no one is being let in and no one is being let out.
- Cedar Valley High School
- Frontier Middle School
- Eagle Valley Elementary
- Mountain Trails Elementary
BREAKING: One person shot, ongoing SWAT situation in Eagle Mountain. Deputies say it appears to have began as a family dispute…https://t.co/NYkSGNJahx@KSL5TV #KSLTV #Utah pic.twitter.com/Hz4aa1j0UI
— Andrew Adams (@AndrewAdamsKSL) December 12, 2022
The suspect entered a home near 4654 N. Krestel Way and police and SWAT worked to contain them.
Shooting in @eaglemtncity on Kestrel Way. Victim in fair condition taken by @Intermountain LifeFlight. One armed person still in house. Media staging at 1650 Stagecoach Run, city building parking lot. Too risky to get closer. Get there via Eagle Mountain Blvd. NOT Pony Express. pic.twitter.com/HacpRr3fYq
— Utah County Sheriff (@UCSO) December 12, 2022
Police told KSL TV the person shot has been transported to the hospital.
The school district released this statement:
“We are aware of a situation in the Eagle Mountain area that is impacting four of our schools: Cedar Valley High, Frontier Middle School, Mountain Trails Elementary, and Eagle Valley Elementary. This is a situation that is occurring in a nearby neighborhood. Parents will not be allowed to pick up their student until the Utah County Sheriff lifts the “secure” order. We will let you know as soon as the “secure” order has been lifted.”
