SALT LAKE CITY — Three people were arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of two men in downtown Salt Lake City early Tuesday morning.
However, none of the people arrested actually pulled the trigger.
Salt Lake City Police said they were called to a Comfort Inn hotel at 171 W. 500 South around 12:30 a.m. on reports of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found two people with gunshot wounds.
The victims died at the scene. Both were men, but their identities have not yet been released.
One person of interest was initially detained by officers at the scene. In an update Tuesday night, SLCPD announced that they had arrested three suspects: 40-year-old Tiffani Papach, 38-year-old Kendra Mitchell and 56-year-old Kevin Thrower.
Mitchell told police that she was a sex worker and had been contacted by the person renting the hotel room.
An argument over payment occurred, and Mitchell contacted Papach and had her send two men to the location for “security” or “protection."
Police said Papach and the two men arrived and forced their way into the hotel room. One of the men was armed with a handgun, and the men assaulted the hotel room patron, demanded money from him and then stole his car keys.
Details about what happened next are unclear, but SLCPD said the two men ended up getting shot by the man renting the room.
Mitchell and Papach were both arrested for aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary.
Papach and Thrower were booked for obstruction of justice.
Police said Thrower lied to police at the scene and told them Mitchell had run off, but she was standing next to him. They said he lied and said he didn't know anything about her or the incident.
The hotel guest who shot the two men was not arrested and his name has not been released.
