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A Utah man testified Tuesday that Gerald R. Grant, who is accused of a South Salt Lake triple slaying, said someone had shot him first, so he shot back.
Isaac Gbaway said he and another man, Mahad Abdirashid Omar, picked up Grant on Park Creeke Lane on Feb. 18 after receiving a call from him, saying he had been shot. Grant was lying in the grass on the side of the street, and Omar helped him get into the vehicle, Gbaway said.
"He said, 'They tried to rob me,' " Gbaway testified at a preliminary hearing in 3rd District Court.
Gbaway testified that Grant said somebody shot him and then he shot back. Grant also said he couldn't feel his leg and wanted to go to a hospital, Gbaway said.
Grant, 20, is charged with three counts of aggravated murder, a first-degree felony; one count of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; and obstructing justice, a second-degree felony. The preliminary hearing is to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial in the case.
The victims were 20-year-old Angel Lopez-Salinas; his 19-year-old brother, Lauro Raul Lopez-Salinas; and 17-year-old Armando Cuenca-Curiel.
The three were found in Lauro Lopez-Salinas' SUV in the road at 325 E. Park Creeke Lane (3060 South). Cuenca-Curiel had a gunshot wound in his side and died at the scene. The brothers, who each had been shot in the head, died later at a local hospital.
Grant was shot in the leg that night and taken to a local hospital by friends.
Prosecutors believe the shootings were the result of a drug rip-off that turned deadly, according to charging documents. But defense attorneys say in a court document that a man who knew the victims told police the trio intended to rob Grant, and one said he was going to beat him if he didn't give up the money.
Omar, 21, originally was charged in June with obstructing justice for allegedly aiding Grant and for not reporting what he knew about the shootings. On Friday — based on recently acquired text messages between Omar and Grant — prosecutors amended the charges against Omar, adding three counts of murder and one count of aggravated robbery.
Charging documents allege that Grant had texted Omar earlier on Feb. 18, saying he had robbed a man for a few hundred dollars the night before and asking Omar to set up another "plan." Omar allegedly set up the exchange with a contact and then texted Grant to tell him to bring a gun.
Gbaway drove Grant and Omar to a strip mall, where Grant got into an SUV with the contact, according to the charges. Gbaway and Omar intended to follow the SUV but lost sight of it, the charges say.
On Tuesday, Gbaway testified that he was panicking as he drove out of the neighborhood and said, "Man, I was never here." He said he dropped off Grant and Omar at a car wash on Redwood Road near Omar's father's store.
Mohammed Bwanadi, who also testified Tuesday, said Omar, a friend, asked to be picked up at his father's store about 8 p.m. He said Omar showed up about 8:10 with Grant, who he helped get into Bwanadi's car.
Then Omar asked to be taken to a store, where he bought supplies, including bandages and rubbing alcohol, Bwanadi said. At first, he said, he thought Grant had twisted an ankle, but Omar said later that he was going to try to remove a bullet from his leg.
After he told Omar he didn't want any part of the situation, Bwanadi said, Omar made some calls, including one to an attorney. He heard Omar say his friend got shot and was defending himself, Bwanadi said.
Then Omar called Grant's girlfriend, Bwanadi said, and they met her at a restaurant and transferred Grant to her car.
The preliminary hearing, which began Monday, is slated to continue Wednesday and Thursday.
Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC