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Main suspect in fatal shooting outside Salt Palace turns himself in

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SALT LAKE CITY — The suspect who police believe shot and killed a man outside the Salt Palace Convention Center on Saturday has been arrested.

Salt Lake City Police confirmed to FOX 13 News Tuesday evening that 18-year-old Nogolweit "Nunu" Kug was taken into custody and facing charges of murder and aggravated robbery.

The department later gave an update that Kug arrived at the police station to turn himself in around 4 p.m. He was then taken into custody by members of a SWAT team.

Kug was identified Monday as the main suspect in the shooting death of 41-year-old Deliford Knight.

Two other men, 22-year-old Deng Buk and 21-year-old Joshua Riak, were previously arrested after police said they aided and abetted Kug in the murder and robbery.

According to police, Knight and his friends had been traveling to different conventions and "engaged in betting matches to defraud people out of money" and were doing so at SneakerCon on Saturday.

The organizers of SneakerCon said the scheme used was "3-shell Monte." They claimed Knight did not attend the actual convention, however.

The fight between Knight and the three suspects began when one of the suspects allegedly lost money to Knight. Police say Kug, Buk and Riak followed him out of the Salt Palace and onto West Temple, where they assaulted him and tried to get the money back.

Police say Kug then pulled out a gun and shot Knight in the middle of the street, and Knight later died at the hospital.

Kug and one other suspect (not specified) allegedly took Knight's cell phone and cash out of his pockets after he was shot. All three then fled the area.

SLCPD said Both Buk and Riak will also be charged murder and aggravated robbery.

According to Utah law, a suspect can be charged with murder despite not committing the act itself — if that individual "is engaged in the commission, attempted commission, or immediate flight from the commission or attempted commission of" certain crimes, including robbery, and someone is killed in the process.

“Although we have made these three key arrests, our investigation is still very much ongoing," SLCPD Chief Mike Brown said in a written statement following Kug's arrest. "Because of the commitment of our homicide detectives, patrol officers and specialty units, we now have a better understanding of what unfolded on Saturday afternoon. I want to reassure everyone who lives in, works in and visit Salt Lake City that our police department is unwavering in our mission to help keep our community safe.”