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Utah man was ‘wearing the wrong color’ before being killed in his South Salt Lake apartment

(Photo courtesy of the Salt Lake County jail) Isaiah Lucas

A man was waving a bandana and flashing gang signs at a South Salt Lake apartment before he fatally shot the man who lived there about three weeks ago, court documents say.

Isaiah Marquez Aligo Lucas was at Patrick Andrews’ apartment with a group of people on March 3 — Lucas’ 20th birthday — when he began waving a bandana, the color of which was associated with a gang, and flashing gang signs, according to charges filed in 3rd District Court on Thursday.

Lucas has been charged with aggravated murder and accused of killing Andrews, and with attempted aggravated murder for the shooting of another person at the apartment. Both are first-degree felonies punishable by up to life in prison. He has also been charged with use of a firearm by a restricted person and obstructing justice, both second-degree felonies.

On March 3, the 24-year-old Andrews was with a 25-year-old man at his apartment, near 3700 S. 700 West. The 25-year-old visitor invited a woman to join them at the apartment, charges state. When she arrived, she brought several people with her, including Lucas, who said it was his birthday. It was about 3:30 a.m.

People in the group told Andrews that he was “wearing the wrong color” and had a conversation about gangs, at which point Lucas pulled out his bandana and flashed gang signs, charges say.

Andrews told Lucas that he “wasn’t about that stuff” and asked him to “put his flag away,” according to charges. The 25-year-old echoed the request and asked Lucas to “not show disrespect.”

Later, Lucas came out of the bathroom carrying his bandana and asked if he was disrespecting the house. Witnesses said the 25-year-old tried to calm Lucas down, but Lucas pushed the man’s hand away and then pulled a gun out from behind the bandana, charges say.

The 25-year-old later told police that Lucas pointed the gun at him, and he flinched and turned. He saw Andrews get shot and fall down, he said, and then he felt Lucas press the gun against him and shoot him.

Andrews died from multiple gunshot wounds, and the 25-year-old man suffered gunshot wounds to his back and pelvis, charges say. A witness told police that neither of the victims had guns and that Lucas was the only person who fired shots in the apartment.

After the shooting, Lucas fled, witnesses said.

Police used a K9 to locate Lucas that night and found him near the Jordan River Trail, charges say. Along the path where Lucas fled, officers found a gun holster atop fresh snow and a bandana, charges say. When they found him, Lucas’ clothing was wet from the knees down, “as if he had been in the river.” At that point, he did not have a gun on him, officers noted.

Lucas’ criminal history includes being charged earlier this month with possession of a dangerous weapon for a September incident. Within the past year, he was also convicted of interference with an arresting officer and failing to stop at the command of law enforcement.

Lucas, of West Valley City, is being held at the Salt Lake County jail without bail. No court dates had been set in his case as of Friday morning.

Andrews was the second person in South Salt Lake to die in a gang-related shooting in a three-week period. The first, 16-year-old Alan Hernandez Lopez, was shot on the sidewalk just after leaving school Feb. 13. The shooting suspect in that case is also 20 years old.