More than a week after a 20-year-old man was fatally shot in Salt Lake City’s Sugar House neighborhood, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced that a suspect has been charged with murder for the man’s death.
Cesar Gonzalez Juarez, 24, of Stansbury Park, was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County jail shortly after the Sept. 6 shooting. Gill announced 14 felony charges filed against Juarez on Monday: One count of murder, three counts of discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and 10 counts of felony discharge of a firearm.
“Gun violence in our community continues to ruin lives,” Gill said in a news release Monday. “Our hearts go out to the family of the victim in this case.”
The man who was shot and killed was identified by his family in a GoFundMe as Usman Dalal, a college student pursuing higher education.
Gill said his office will help Dalal’s family access support services.
Prosecutors are seeking to hold Gonzalez Juarez without bail before trial, arguing in court filings that he “brought a firearm to a fist fight” and “had no regard for the safety and welfare of others or the community.”
Dalal was walking with a group of friends to a party near Westminister University when a car pulled up next to them, according to a probable cause statement.
Dalal and the occupants of the car started arguing, and then Gonzalez Juarez got out and started fighting with Dalal, the District Attorney’s Office said. During the fight, Dalal struck Gonzalez Juarez, who fell to the ground.
Then Gonzalez Juarez stood up, took a handgun from his waistband, and fired several shots at Dalal, court documents state.
As Dalal ran away, another person in the car tackled him and started to kick and punch him, the District Attorney’s Office said. While Dalal was on the ground, Gonzalez Juarez shot him several more times, prosecutors said.
Gonzalez Juarez later turned himself in to police, the news release states. He told police he feared for his safety, so he shot Dalal until he was out of ammunition.
According to his Facebook account, Dalal was originally from Karachi, Pakistan, before his family relocated to Bountiful. His family held a celebration of life at Tunnel Springs Park in North Salt Lake on Saturday.