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Teen accused of shooting 2 rival gang members in Fashion Place shootout will be tried as an adult

(Photo courtesy Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office) Alexis Giovanny Gallegos, 18, is accused of shooting and wounding two rival gang members at Murray's Fashion Place Mall in January 2019.

The teenager accused of shooting and wounding two members of a rival gang in an exchange of gunfire at the Fashion Place mall in January has been certified to stand trial in adult court.

Alexis Giovanny Gallegos was 17 at the time of the shooting; he turned 18 on April 26. He faces four counts of discharge of a firearm causing serious injury and one count of possession of a firearm by a restricted person, all first-degree felonies.

According to police, an encounter between members of two gangs — Florencia 13 and Norteños — inside the mall escalated into a shootout just outside the Murray shopping center. Angela Alvarez was shot once in the leg; James Talamantes was shot three times in the abdomen and leg, and required surgery to remove part of his colon.

According to a probable cause statement, members of Norteños returned fire, but no one was hit. No bystanders were wounded.

Gallegos was identified as the member of Florencia 13 who wounded Alvarez and Talamantes, who were identified by police as members of Norteños.

He has been transferred to the Salt Lake County Jail; his next court hearing is scheduled for Monday. Gallegos is the youngest of six people charged.

Arian Huerta, 20, of Kamas, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing a riot, a third-degree felony, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 8.

Flaviano "Flavio" Aguilar, 20, of Park City; Jorge Luis Crecencio-Gonzalez, 19, of Park City; and Jesus Joshua Payan-Mendoza,19, of Heber City are all facing felony charges of causing a riot. Aguilar and Crecencio are also charged with felony obstruction of justice.

Steven Alexander Perez-Hernandez, 19, of Sandy has been charged with causing a riot and two counts of obstruction of justice — all felonies — as well as discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony.