PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT

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SLCPD Arrest Two People Following Gun-Related Assault Possibly Tied to Social Media

SALT LAKE CITY — Officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) are investigating a gun-related assault that may have been motivated, or performed, for social media.

This investigation started at 3:59 a.m. on Sunday, December 15, 2024, when SLC911 received information from a community member that two teens confronted him, flashed a gun, and threatened him at a grocery store, located at 922 East 2100 South.

Officers quickly saturated the area and started looking for the suspects after getting descriptions.

During their search, officers found two people who matched the suspects’ descriptions near Fairmount Park.

Officers detained both individuals, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old, without incident.

During the investigation, officers found a gun hidden near the arrest location.

Officers booked the 17-year-old suspect into the Salt Lake County Juvenile Detention Center on charges of aggravated assault, brandishing a firearm during an altercation, unlawful possession of a stolen firearm, and unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor.

Officers booked 18-year-old Sladen Beutler-Jones into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on charges of assault and unlawful use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

Officers are investigating whether the gun-related assault may have been motivated, or performed, for social media.

SLCPD detectives will conduct follow-up investigation on the case.

Charges are only allegations, and every arrested person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Salt Lake City Police Department is not the custodian of record for jail booking photos. Utah Code 17-22-30 mostly prohibits the release of jail booking photos. Generally, a jail booking photo can only be released by the custodian of record after a conviction or when law enforcement determines the person is a fugitive or an imminent threat to a person or public safety. In Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office is the custodian of record for jail booking photos.

The information contained in this news release is based on a preliminary review of the details available to the Salt Lake City Police Department. As the investigation progresses, information may change.

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