Man arrested Sunday in shooting death of Aaron Lowe had ‘extensive violent criminal history’

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City police announced Sunday morning that they have made an arrest in connection to the shooting that killed Aaron Lowe and injured another.

SLCPD Chief Mike Brown tweeted the news just before 5 a.m., saying, “The person accused of murdering Aaron Lowe is in custody!”

The person accused of murdering @UUtah student Aaron Lowe is in custody!

Our homicide detectives did a remarkable job. They never gave up and pursued every lead to move this investigation forward.

Press release: https://t.co/ZMnKVgCfxc #SLC #SaltLakeCity #Utah #22Forever pic.twitter.com/lEFNvq8cc5

— Chief Mike Brown (@ChiefMikeBrown) October 3, 2021

Buk M. Buk, 22, was arrested Sunday morning and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder, attempted murder and felony discharge of a firearm.

During a press conference that began around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Chief Brown said he called Aaron Lowe’s mother to let her know about the arrest.

“I’m just glad they got him. I can’t get my baby back, but I know that I’ll get justice,” Donna Lowe-Stern told KSL-TV from her home in Texas.

The probable cause documents filed in Third District Court state Buk is currently on probation for robbery while free on bail, awaiting trail on another felony charge. It states that he would “constitute a substantial danger to any other individual or to the community,” has an “extensive violent criminal history” and “is likely to flee the jurisdiction of the court if released on bail.”

It also states, besides an “extensive violent criminal history,” that Buk shot the victims and then walked up and shot them again.

Lowe did not survive the shooting, but he was not the only victim. A 20-year-old woman was also shot and documents state that she told police the shooter was trying to “finish them off.”

“Buk Buk fired two or three shots at a male and female victim, who were struck by the shots and immediately fell to the ground. Witnesses then observed Buk Buk walk up to the victims and shoot them five or six more times while they were on the ground,” read the documents.

It says the woman shot was in extremely critical condition, underwent extensive surgery and remains in critical condition.

Police told KSL-TV they do not believe the two victims knew their attacker.

Rest In Peace, A Lowe.

We love you forever. #LLAL pic.twitter.com/03O9qMt6oA

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) September 26, 2021

“Our homicide detectives did a remarkable job,” Brown said, referring to Sunday’s arrest. “They never gave up and pursued every lead to move this investigation forward.”

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said she was “incredibly relieved to learn that an arrest was made in this case” and expressed her condolences to Lowe’s family.

My statement on the arrest made in the Aaron Lowe case. pic.twitter.com/t0RwIFYCjf

— Mayor Erin Mendenhall (@slcmayor) October 3, 2021

 

“No parent should ever have to bury their child,” she said.

Brown and Mendenhall declined to answer reporter questions, but Brown said he doesn’t believe the shooting was targeted.

“This was not a targeted attack against the University, it’s athletic department or Aaron Lowe,” he said.

Authorities from several agencies worked together to make the arrest in Draper after several search warrants and interviews on the case.

Chief Brown also made the following statement:

“In a time of need, we turned to our community. We asked people to come forward and to share the information they had. Because of those tips and the unrelenting pursuit of justice from our homicide detectives, we have arrested the person accused of murdering Aaron Lowe. So many lives have been impacted from this senseless shooting. I want to thank the work of our patrol officers, detectives, crime lab technicians, our data analysts, and the professional staff of the Salt Lake City Police Department. Their dedicated work of combing through every lead and every piece of evidence is what led us to this arrest.”

Police said it is still an active investigation.

They continue to ask that anyone with information call 801-799-3000 and reference case number 21-176828.