SPRINGVILLE, Utah — For a surprising third time in a week, the city of Springville is dealing with a fatal shooting.
On Wednesday, police were called to the area of 470 North and 100 East after a woman ran to a neighbor's house saying she needed medical assistance for her stepfather.
"She was kind of leaning against here, and she said 'I've lost my phone, can you call 9-1-1?'" explained neighbor Merilee Bubash. "I said 'what's wrong?' and she just said 'Mike is dying.'"
The woman, identified as Krista Mortensen, 33, claimed she needed help with her elderly father's feeding tube.
"She said I've got to get out of here, I've got to move, or something to that effect," Bubash told FOX 13 News.
When officers arrived, they found the man, 75-year-old Michael Huff, with a gunshot wound to his head and a gun sitting near his feet. At that point, Mortensen had locked herself in a bedroom and "refused to come out or make any statements regarding the welfare of her father," according to arrest documents.
"Mike was a sweetheart and would do anything for anybody," Bubash said.
After getting a key to the room, officers saw Mortensen laying on the ground in the fetal position with blood on her hands, arms and clothing, police said. She again refused to speak with officers and asked for a lawyer, while also making "multiple spontaneous statements about killing and shooting her father."
Mortensen was taken into custody and faces charges of murder, obstruction of justice and possession of a dangerous weapon.
The incident comes days after separate shootings that left a teenage girl and man dead.
"These kinds of situations can either make you better or worse," said Springville Mayor Matt Packard. "We think that Springville will do what it characteristically does and that it to become a better and more aware community, a more giving community, a less judgemental community
On May 18, high school student Lily Conroy was shot and killed by an ex-boyfriend in an attempted murder-suicide. Conroy was taken to the hospital and placed on life support so that her organs could be donated.
A 42-year-old man was shot and killed Saturday. Hunter Ryan Lamoreaux of Orem was arrested in connection to the shooting of his former neighbor in the area of 250 North and 400 East.
