Officers console a man inside of a crime scene on 100 South and West Temple where a shooting left one man dead Saturday afternoon. Police say multiple people were involved in a fight after leaving the downtown convention center. (Ben B. Braun, Deseret News)
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SALT LAKE CITY — One man was shot and killed in a downtown street Saturday afternoon in a fight involving several people who had just left a sneaker convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center, police said.
The shooting occurred shortly after 3:15 pm in the middle of West Temple and 150 South. Police were still looking for suspects Saturday night.
Police received multiple 911 calls, initially sending police to 100 S. State, and when nothing out of the ordinary was happening there, they were directed a few blocks west toward West Temple, said Salt Lake police spokesman Brent Weisberg.
When officers arrived, one man was on the ground with critical injuries and bystanders were giving him first aid. Officers then began to give first aid until crews arrived from Gold Cross Ambulance and Salt Lake fire to take the person to the hospital. The man was later pronounced dead. No other information has been released about the victim.
“This does not appear to be a random shooting. Based on the preliminary investigation, there was a fight between the victim and several people before the shooting as they left the convention center,” the police said in a statement.
Sneaker Con, which made its Salt Lake City debut on Saturday, was underway at the Salt Palace when the shooting took place outside. The sneaker showcase and sales event brought thousands of people to the area. It remains unknown whether the victim was involved with the conference.
Witnesses told police the shooter and at least one other person ran into a nearby parking garage after the shooting and left in a car. Police did not immediately have a description of the car. Officers said they checked nearby businesses and parking garages looking for any potential threats or victims.
“We have devoted many resources to this investigation. What happened today does not represent downtown or our great city,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said in a prepared statement. “Our police officers did a remarkable job during a chaotic and quickly unfolding event. They showed compassion and helped people who found themselves in a very stressful situation. I’m proud of our officers.”
Salt Lake police were asking anyone with information about what happened Saturday afternoon to call 801-799-3000. Weisberg said they believe multiple community members may have photos or videos of the incident, and police would like to view those immediately.
Weisberg said a significant number of resources, including multiple violent crimes and homicide detectives, are investigating. Other agencies throughout the valley are also being asked to help look for the people who police believe fled the scene after the shooting.
Weisberg thanked members of the community for offering first aid and for giving information to officers about the people believed to have been involved and the vehicle.
“We really appreciate those witnesses who stayed here. That was instrumental to this investigation and we believe that that will likely help significantly with this investigation,” he said. “Based on the information that we have so far, we believe that there are likely people in our community who saw this, who know the people involved with this shooting, and we are asking those people to come forward and help us with this investigation. “
Weisberg noted that for a homicide to occur in the middle of the day in a busy pedestrian area is unusual and created a dramatic scene.
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Emily Ashcraft joined KSL.com as a reporter in 2021. She covers courts and legal affairs, as well as health, faith and religion news.
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