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Two juveniles in custody after bystander wounded in gang shooting in South Salt Lake

Posted at 2:28 PM, Dec 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-30 23:29:05-05

SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah -- Police in South Salt Lake say a bystander suffered a gunshot wound outside of a 7-Eleven Saturday in an incident believed to be gang-related.

According to a press release from the South Salt Lake Police Department, things began at 1 p.m. near a 7-Eleven at 2700 South State Street.

Police say a westbound vehicle stopped at the traffic light at the intersection, and the people inside the car began exchanging gang signs with two males standing on the northwest corner of the intersection, near the 7-Eleven.

The vehicle crossed the intersection, turned into the 7-Eleven parking lot and stopped, at which point the two male pedestrians began to shoot at the vehicle. Police aren't sure if the occupants of the car returned fire or not.

A man who was arriving at his workplace across the street told Fox 13 News he took cover when he heard the shots.

“A couple of shots went on after I got out of my truck so I hid behind my truck,” Andrew McCollum said. “When I popped my head up again, I saw them running away.”

The vehicle sped away after the shooting, and the two pedestrians ran away.

“I heard the guy who got shot was screaming. The person who ran across the street was screaming something. I couldn’t make out what they were saying,” McCollum said. “After that, they were standing at the corner for a little bit looking around and they ran back across the road.”

A 32-year-old male bystander suffered a gunshot wound to the foot and was taken to a hospital in fair condition. He was treated and released.

Police set up a containment in the area and brought in Unified Police K9 units to search for the suspects.

Two juvenile males were found hiding in a garage, and police also recovered a handgun a block away from the 7-Eleven. Both juveniles, ages 16 and 17, were booked into Juvenile Detention in connection with the shooting.