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Police say drive-by shooting that injured 2 people was gang related

Posted at 4:34 PM, Oct 02, 2013
and last updated 2013-10-02 19:35:15-04

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- Two men were hospitalized Wednesday afternoon after being hurt in a drive-by shooting.

It happened near the corner of 3840 West and 4480 South just after 4 p.m. Wednesday.

The victims are a 26-year-old white male and a 30-year-old Latino man. One was shot in the neck, and the other was shot in the leg after a green compact car pulled up to Christopherson Drive with two suspects inside.

"The car was circling the area," neighbor Marjorie Scott said.

Neighbor Rivo Tauvaofonoti said the suspects didn’t appear to speak with the victims before the shooting.

"There was no argument," Tauvaofonoti said.

He said he heard six gunshots, then the car sped off going southbound.

Lt. Lamont Cox, West Valley City Police Department, said they are still working to determine what happened.

"That's pretty much when all the witnesses turned and looked," he said. "We're assuming there's no argument or fight before the shooting, whether they knew each other or not—it's too early in the investigation to tell."

However, police now believe the shooting is gang-related. One of the victims ran into an apartment complex close to a courtyard where children were playing.

"I heard someone yell,  'Get inside, get inside,’” Scott said.

Despite several shaken neighbors, no one spotted and reported a license plate, just a vague description of the suspects' car. Police hope the victims will help them identify the suspects.

West Valley City Police Department officials said the victims are in stable condition and are expected to survive.