DRAPER, Utah -- Unified Police are still trying to figure out why and how Draper police Sgt. Derek Johnson was shot to death over the weekend.
That incident involved two people, and police have identified them as 35-year-old Timothy Walker and 34-year-old Traci Vaillancourt.
Police believe Vaillancourt was a victim, allegedly shot by Walker, who is now the prime suspect in the officer’s murder.
Vaillancourt’s sister, Victoria King, said Vaillancourt's drug addiction and choice of bad company has sadly connected her to a crime that's emotionally tearing so many apart.
"My condolences go out to them (Johnson family), literally my heart bleeds and I think about them every second,” she said.
King was heartbroken when she learned her sister was one of two individuals allegedly involved in the crime.
Police said Vaillancourt's boyfriend opened fire on Sgt. Johnson early Sunday morning, which killed the officer. King had strong words about her sister’s companion.
"He's a coward, and he probably had warrants and knew he was going back to jail how many times," King said.
Investigators believe Walker shot Sgt. Johnson, then shot Vaillancourt and then turned the gun on himself. The two survived and remain in critical condition, and they are under guard at Intermountain Medical Center.
“My sister is gonna live, so they say,” King said. “They will not give us information, but she's alive.”
She said her sister was an aspiring model and actress in high school but later suffered medical problems as a result of a rare blood disorder and became addicted to prescription drugs.
“She chose a path, had an addiction to pain pills and met someone who was addicted as well, and it was a drug fueled relationship I believe," King said.
She hasn't seen her sister much in the last several years, but the couple showed up Saturday night at King’s home, where Walker reportedly showed off a gun.
"He pulled everything out of a backpack, and that's when I saw the gun, and he had other weapons," King said. "What transpired the next day was beyond my belief, and my condolences go out to Derek Johnson's family. I just want them to know my thoughts are with them always and I'm praying for them."
