A parking lot confrontation over a pair of black Air Force shoes ended with gunfire, a fistfight, and three victims scattered near 5500 West and 3500 South, and now two men are facing felony charges that could put them behind bars for decades. West Valley City police say the chaos began with a robbery and escalated into a riot before officers even arrived.
According to KSL News, 22-year-old Aliga Malual and 18-year-old Sandy Kuj were each charged in 3rd District Court with two counts of aggravated robbery, obstruction of justice, and causing a riot. Malual faces three additional counts of discharge of a firearm, according to the charging documents cited by the outlet. Investigators say officers responded to a report of a shooting in the parking lot and found three victims on scene, with one telling police he had been robbed and shot at.
Charging documents describe a scene that unraveled fast. A suspect took the victim's possessions, including the black Air Force shoes, and another man pointed a gun at the victim, per the charging documents. Three men then tried to jump a second victim on the south side of the lot, while a third victim ended up fighting one of the men, and that second victim was shot at twice while running away, KSL reported.
Suspects Fled, One Tossed Gun Into Shopping Cart
As officers closed in, multiple suspects ran from the location, according to the charging documents. Kuj reportedly ran southbound through the parking lot before tossing the handgun into a shopping cart. Surveillance video reviewed by investigators showed Kuj holding a handgun in his right hand, and police later found him at a nearby laundry business and recovered the weapon from the cart.
Investigators also recovered two bullets and three shell casings from the parking lot, physical evidence that corroborates prosecutors' account that shots were fired during the confrontation. Prosecutors allege Malual caused a firearm to be discharged three times during the encounter. Malual reportedly told investigators that someone had picked a fight with his brother and that he told his brother to give him his gun, using the word “blick,” which Malual explained referred to his gun, according to the charging documents.
Gang Ties Cited in Charging Documents
Police charging documents reported by KSL News noted that both Malual and Kuj have documented gang ties, a detail that adds context to why prosecutors pursued riot charges on top of the robbery counts. Prosecutors allege Malual participated in violent conduct with other individuals, and that the alleged victims were robbed of their possessions and shot at during the encounter.
The West Valley City Council took note of exactly this kind of scenario earlier this year. In April, the council approved Ordinance 26-16, which observed that individuals with known gang affiliations frequently attempt to assert control and commit violent acts in public gathering spaces across the city, according to city records. The commercial parking lot where the August 21 shooting unfolded sits near a major thoroughfare, the kind of public gathering space the ordinance was written to address.
A City Already Under Scrutiny for Gang Violence
West Valley City, Utah's second-largest municipality with roughly 137,000 residents spread across 35.8 square miles, has drawn sustained law enforcement attention over gang activity in recent years. FBI and state crime data from 2024 to 2026 show the city recording more than 800 violent crimes annually, a rate that exceeds the Utah statewide average, per statistics compiled by Reolink. A four-month joint task force led by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations resulted in 158 gang-related arrests across Utah in 2025, with West Valley City among the primary target jurisdictions in Salt Lake County, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This isn't the first time West Valley City parking lots have drawn a heavy police response this year. In July, officers swarmed a lot at Valley Fair Mall after a targeted altercation sent shoppers running, as per Hoodline. And in June, Salt Lake County prosecutors charged a Magna woman with second-degree felony obstruction of justice for allegedly giving false statements following a separate West Valley City shooting, underscoring a pattern of obstruction charges tied to gunfire cases in the area.
Legal Exposure for Both Defendants
The charges facing Malual and Kuj carry significant statutory weight. Aggravated robbery is classified as a first-degree felony under Utah law, which under Utah Code § 76-3-203, carries an indeterminate sentence of five years to life in state prison and fines up to $10,000, according to Utah state courts. Malual's three counts of discharging a firearm each carry a mandatory minimum of at least three years in prison, up to 15 years depending on aggravating factors or injuries, under Utah Code § 76-10-508.1, per the Utah criminal defense guidance.
The obstruction of justice counts against both men are second-degree felonies, punishable by one to 15 years in prison, while the riot charges are third-degree felonies carrying up to five years, per the same sentencing framework. It remains unclear whether prosecutors will pursue formal gang enhancements against Malual or Kuj, whether additional co-conspirators were involved in the parking lot altercation, or what the current custody status and bail conditions are for either man — questions that remain open as the case proceeds through 3rd District Court.
