Shots fired in 2 cities; police find one man dead

A man is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a home on the 800 East block of Colony Circle, Washington, Utah, March 17, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

WASHINGTON CITY – Reports of gunshots at a St. George residence Tuesday evening were accompanied by subsequent reports of gunfire in Washington City in an episode that left one man dead in an apparent suicide.

Police officers stood in front of the street leading into Colony Circle in Washington City where the fatal event unfolded. Across the street, neighborhood residents stood looking on and some among them could be heard crying.

A man is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following an incident that began on the 2000 East block of 700 North, St. George, Utah, March 17, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A man is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following an incident that began on the 2000 East block of 700 North, St. George, Utah, March 17, 2015 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Reports came into the St. George Communications Center shortly before 7:45 p.m. of gunshots in the area of 2400 East and 700 North in St. George.

At around 7:45 p.m., new calls were coming in from the area of Colony Circle in Washington City.

Neighborhood resident Melissa Scott was inside her home when she heard the gunshots. She originally thought they were firecrackers until discovering otherwise, she said.

“We heard four shots and we ran outside and we saw (the man) with a weapon … and he was waving it around and he was shooting it in the air and he was swearing at everyone,” Scott said. “At that point I realized it wasn’t firecrackers … It was like ‘bam, bam, bam, bam!’ There was like 12 kids in the street – a whole bunch of little kids. My daughter was outside and all her little friends were outside.”

Ed Kantor, Washington County Police Department’s public information officer, said the man is believed to have been involved in a domestic dispute in St. George and then traveled to the Washington City neighborhood.

As the incident continued, Scott said, she and others hid behind her mother’s car. At one point she said the man went into the backyard “with a huge gun, waving it everywhere. The biggest gun I’ve ever seen in real life,” she said. “You see that stuff on TV all the time.”

Also during the incident, Scott said, a woman, who she said was the man’s sister, was trying to get him to stop. After that, Scott said, she realized someone was on the ground.

“He shot himself,” she said.

As the incident progressed, Kantor said, the man allegedly shot himself and was declared dead at the scene.

The man shot himself just as the police arrived at the scene, Scott said.

“They came up the street in full riot gear. It was crazy,” she said. “As they were rounding the corner is when he shot himself.”

As the incident is being investigated as a suicide, Kantor said, the police typically will not issue additional details surrounding the event out of respect for the family of the deceased.

The alleged shooter was the only fatality connected to the incident. No other individuals were harmed.

St. George Police investigated the scene at the residence in the 2400 East 700 North location Tuesday evening and said they were deferring comment to Washington City Police.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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3 Comments

  • fun bag March 18, 2015 at 11:36 am

    “the police typically will not issue additional details surrounding the event out of respect for the family of the deceased.”

    sounds like he was waving a gun around like a nutcase and blew himself away right in front of a bunch of ppl, even little kids. I think we deserve the full story at the very least…

    • scar March 18, 2015 at 1:51 pm

      I agree with you for once. Hope theres a more detailed updated story soon. I already know who it was so more information and a complete story would be nice… thanks for the information you do have though St. George News.

    • anna March 18, 2015 at 3:45 pm

      Deserve ? No you don’t deserve all the gory details. For whatever reason this man did what he did, the results are the same. Someone who was troubled is dead and his family has to deal with this. You weren’t injured, you weren’t involved so other then morbid curiosity, why do you feel you deserve to know anything ? What difference is it going to make at this point ? His family deserves a little respect and privacy.

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