Man killed outside Salt Palace believed to have scammed shooter

The Florida man who was shot outside the Salt Palace Convention Center on Saturday was likely killed by someone he scammed, according to the Salt Lake City Police Department. Police released the victim’s identity Sunday and said they had arrested one person in connection with the shooting.

Deliford Knight, 41, had flown to Salt Lake City from Florida to attend Sneaker Con, a one-day event being held at the Salt Palace on Saturday, police said. Knight and a group of friends, according to investigators, have attended several similar conventions with the purpose of scamming other attendees through betting matches.

Police believe someone who lost money to Knight at the Salt Lake City event became angry, and he and a group followed Knight out of the building and onto West Temple, where they began to fight.

Officers responded to 911 calls in the area at 3:19 p.m. Knight was found with a gunshot wound and taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he died that night.

The 22-year-old man who was arrested in the case was booked on suspicion of murder and aggravated robbery. He is not believed to be the shooter. Police also believe members of the group that attacked Knight took items out of his pockets, including a cellphone and money. The shooter and at least one other person associated with him ran into a nearby parking garage and left in a car, according to witness statements to police.

Sneaker Con founder Yu-Ming Wu said in a statement emailed to The Salt Lake Tribune that he was told Knight was part of a group running a three-shell monte game outside of the convention center. Sneaker Con, a traveling showcase and marketplace for high-end tennis shoes, was being held inside.

“The altercation was not affiliated with our Sneaker Con event,” Wu wrote, “nor did the suspected three-shell monte orchestrators attend our event.”

SLCPD is still seeking information about the shooting. Anyone who has information, including photos or video, is asked to call 801-799-3000.

“We have devoted many resources to this investigation,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said in a press release. “What happened today does not represent downtown or our great city.”

SLCPD reported this was the eighth homicide in Salt Lake City this year.

Correction: Sept. 4, 2022, 4:54 p.m. >> The victim’s name was misspelled in a previous version of this article. His name is Deliford Knight.