A 16-year-old boy who was shot and wounded outside a Sandy middle school last month, and the 14-year-old boy who allegedly wielded the gun, had never met outside of social media venues, according to a search warrant unsealed Monday.
Prior to the Oct. 25 confrontation outside of Union Middle School — during which the 16-year-old boy was shot twice in the head but survived — the two teens had argued on Facebook over a girl who is older boy's ex-girlfriend and the accused shooter's current girlfriend, the search warrant affidavit states.
Screenshots of the arguments, which "are threatening toward one another and talk about wanting to fight," were sent to the girl, the search warrant states.
The 16-year-old, who is a student at Hillcrest High School, and the girl also communicated via text messages, in which the 16-year-old talks about wanting to fight the 14-year-old "and hurt him to send him a message," the search warrant states.
After the shooting, cell phones belonging to the boys were given to police by the alleged shooter's mother and the victim's friend.
The search warrant, which seeks data contained in the cellphones, was signed by a Sandy police detective who wrote that the data will "provide a better understanding of the events that led to the physical altercation."
The 14-year-old has been charged in 3rd District Juvenile Court with first-degree felony attempted murder and several weapons charges.
He has not been present at two prior court hearings due to arguments over whether the hearings will be open to the public, but he is expected to make his initial appearance on Dec. 1.
On the afternoon of Oct. 25, when the two boys met in the back of the middle school to fight each other, the 16-year-old approached the 14-year-old and "stuck out his arms telling [the 14-year-old] to shoot him and reunite him with his deceased mother," the search warrant states.
The younger boy "removed a firearm from his backpack and held it at his side as [the 16-year-old] continued to yell at him, telling him to shoot him," the search warrant states.
The younger boy shot the older boy once, the search warrant states. Then, after the victim fell to the ground, the 14-year-old stood over him and fired two more rounds, the search warrant states.
Charging documents say the 16-year-old boy was shot on the right side of his skull above the ear, with an exit wound on top of his head. He also was shot on the left side of his neck, a couple of inches behind his ear, with an exit wound in his left cheek.
Prosecutors have said that they want the 14-year-old to face charges in adult court. That decision will be made by 3rd District Juvenile Judge Tupakk Renteria after he hears evidence of the crime, background from the defendant's medical and psychological records, along with his family history.
According to charging documents, the younger boy got the gun from his mother's closet and brought it to school because he and the older boy had decided to fight and he was afraid the older boy "would do something."
The 14-year-old was arrested at the scene and taken to a juvenile-detention center, where he remains in custody.
The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not identify juveniles charged with crimes unless they have been certified to stand trial in adult court.
Police have not released the name of the injured boy, citing his status as a juvenile.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Kalani Matthews, 17, and friends watch the police scene from across the street from Union Middle School. Matthews said it was his brother that was injured in the shooting. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim Ñ who is a student at Hillcrest High School was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. for two gunshot wounds.The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Kalani Matthews, 17, (right) gets a hug from Dusti Rowland, 16, across the street from Union Middle School. Matthews said it was his brother that was injured in the shooting. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim Ñ who is a student at Hillcrest High School was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. for two gunshot wounds.The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim — who is a student at Hillcrest High School was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. for two gunshot wounds.The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Kalani Matthews, 17, (right) and his friends gather around Rachel Otteson as they try to identify the Union Middle School shooting suspect in photographs found on the internet. Matthews said it was his brother that was injured in the shooting. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim Ñ who is a student at Hillcrest High School was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. for two gunshot wounds.The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Kalani Matthews, 17, (center) and friends watch the police scene from across the street from Union Middle School. Matthews said it was his brother that was injured in the shooting. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim Ñ who is a student at Hillcrest High School was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. for two gunshot wounds.The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "He's alive?" cried Mason Lewis, 14, with his hands on his head, after Dusti Rowland (left) and Rachel Otteson, 18, (right) told him that his best friend who was shot outside Union Middle School was in recovery after surgery. Lewis said he ate lunch with the victim at Hillcrest High School hours before the shooting occurred. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim Ñ who is a student at Hillcrest High School was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. for two gunshot wounds.The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Mason Lewis, 14, is comforted by a passerby after learning that his best friend was shot outside Union Middle School. Lewis said he ate lunch with the victim at Hillcrest High School hours before the shooting occurred. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim Ñ who is a student at Hillcrest High School was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. for two gunshot wounds.The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.
Donate to the newsroom now. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax deductible