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Utah man charged with attempted murder after police say drunken stumble into Christmas tree led to shots fired

Posted at 4:57 PM, Dec 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-17 10:45:48-05

FRANCIS, Utah — A Utah man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after police say he fired a gun at his roommates after falling over on a Christmas tree while drunk.

New documents released in Utah’s Third District Court allege that Randal Weed Dickinson, 57, knowingly tried to cause the death of his roommates during a series of events that occurred on Dec. 9.

The documents said that Dickinson’s roommate told police that Dickinson had been drinking all day, and was “so drunk that he fell into the Christmas tree.”

The roommate and his son helped Dickinson up, and took him to his room so he could sleep it off, the documents said. The man and his son then went through the kitchen on their way out to smoke a cigarette, when they said they heard what sounded like a gun going off.

Documents state that Dickinson emptied the entire clip of a gun while firing at his roommates. At one point while taking cover, one of the roommates told police he heard a bullet fly by him and was worried that he had been grazed.

As investigators processed the scene of the incident, they said they found 16 shell casings in the hall near Dickinson’s room, the charging documents said.

While speaking with Dickinson following the incident, police noted that he appeared to be intoxicated.

Dickinson was originally booked into the Summit County Jail facing charges of felony discharge of a firearm, criminal mischief, intoxication, carrying a dangerous weapon while under the influence, and two counts of aggravated assault.

His charges have since been changed to two counts of attempted murder, one count of possession of a firearm by a restricted person, 16 counts of felony discharge of a firearm, one count of carrying a dangerous weapon while under the influence and one count of intoxication.

Support is available 24/7 in Utah for those dealing with domestic violence. Visit the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition online or call 1-800-897-5465 for resources and assistance. In an emergency, dial 911.