A 36-year-old man already barred from owning firearms as a condition of his parole is now facing attempted murder charges after allegedly shooting another man twice in the abdomen at a North Salt Lake trailer park, then abandoning his vehicle near a TRAX platform in Salt Lake City before officers caught up with him this week.
Ammon Michael Etherington was arrested and booked into the Davis County jail on charges including attempted murder, a first-degree felony, according to ABC4 Utah. He also faces felony discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, aggravated assault resulting in serious injury, and prohibited dangerous weapon conduct, the outlet reports. North Salt Lake police responded on Aug. 21 to reports of a man shot by an unknown person, per the arrest statement cited in the report.
A Dispute Over Property, Then Gunfire
According to the article, the victim's ex-girlfriend had been staying with Etherington in Tooele and had told him that staying in the area would cause problems if the victim saw him. Etherington had reportedly driven her back on Aug. 20 to visit their shared children, and he said he had property to return to her. The victim later told Etherington he was not welcome near his home, the report states.
Etherington allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic .22-caliber handgun and began shooting at the victim, per the account relayed to police. The victim sustained two gunshot wounds in the abdomen and identified Etherington as the shooter, per the police statement referenced in the report. The station's report notes that Etherington's vehicle, a red GMC Jimmy, had turned back into the parking lot before the shooting.
Cameras Track a Red GMC Across County Lines
Flock and surveillance cameras reportedly captured Etherington's GMC, which carried an Idaho license plate, moving through the area as investigators pieced together his path from North Salt Lake into Salt Lake City. Automated license plate readers of this kind have expanded across Utah law enforcement agencies in recent years, though the technology drew scrutiny in August when Gov. Spencer Cox called for a review over privacy concerns and out-of-state searches, according to the Standard-Examiner.
Salt Lake City police assisted North Salt Lake officers in locating surveillance footage, which showed Etherington leaving his vehicle and walking to a TRAX platform, per the same account. Investigators eventually located his GMC unoccupied along North Temple in Salt Lake City, a corridor served by the Utah Transit Authority's Green Line connecting Salt Lake City International Airport through downtown. Inside the vehicle, police reported finding a firearm holster, one unspent .22-caliber round on the floorboard, and 104 additional unspent .22-caliber rounds in the center console.
Officers Track Him Down, Deploy a Taser
Officers first went to a nearby apartment to execute a warrant but found Etherington no longer lived there. The Unified Police Department received reports of Etherington loitering, per a police report, and North Salt Lake officers contacted the North Davis Metro SWAT Team as they moved to take him into custody. That regional tactical unit draws personnel from North Salt Lake, Layton, Clearfield, Clinton, Syracuse, Sunset, and the Davis County Sheriff's Office through interlocal agreements, according to the Davis County News.
Etherington allegedly fled from officers when they attempted to speak with him, and an officer ultimately detained him using a Taser. He was transported to a hospital for medical clearance before being booked into the Davis County jail, where he is now held without bail. The victim's ex-girlfriend had provided Etherington's name to police as part of the investigation, per the report.
Parole Status Triggers Additional Weapons Charge
Court and arrest records cited in the report describe Etherington as having a long history of violent offenses, including prior convictions for aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, and robbery. He was reportedly out on parole at the time of the shooting, a status that carries its own legal consequences under Utah law. Under Utah Code § 76-10-503, anyone currently on parole for a felony is classified as a Category I restricted person, making it illegal to possess, purchase, or carry any firearm or dangerous weapon, according to the Utah State Legislature.
That statute forms the basis for the separate prohibited dangerous weapon conduct charge filed against Etherington, a second-degree felony. The attempted murder charge alone carries a potential sentence of 15 years to life under Utah Code § 76-5-203, while the felony firearm discharge charge carries a mandatory minimum of three years in prison under Utah Code § 76-10-508.1, with maximum penalties reaching 15 years to life depending on the severity of injury. The aggravated assault charge, a second-degree felony under Utah Code § 76-5-103, carries a statutory range of one to 15 years.
Etherington is being held at the Davis County Correctional Facility in Farmington, which serves as the primary detention facility for pre-trial felony arrestees in Davis County and maintains an average daily population of roughly 800 inmates. North Salt Lake, where the shooting occurred, sits at the southern edge of Davis County directly bordering Salt Lake City and is home to more than 23,000 residents. As with all arrested persons, Etherington is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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