A 24-year-old man remained in critical condition Saturday after being shot during a confrontation in a West Valley City IHOP parking lot in the pre-dawn hours. West Valley City police officers responded to the shooting report at about 1 a.m., and the victim had been transported to a full-service hospital by the time investigators arrived on scene.
Officers went to the IHOP parking lot near 3122 South and 5600 West after getting the call, according to Gephardt Daily. Investigators determined that the victim had met with two males at the location before an altercation broke out between them. At least one shot was fired during that confrontation, and the victim was struck.
Victim Rushed to Hospital, Remains Critical
The outlet's reporting indicates the victim was transported to a full-service hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Detectives are gathering information and interviewing family and friends as the investigation continues, the report notes. As of Saturday afternoon, police had not identified any suspects in connection with the shooting.
No further details have emerged about what sparked the altercation between the victim and the two men he met in the parking lot, and the identities of those involved have not been released.
Second West Valley City Shooting in Less Than a Week
The IHOP shooting marks the second gunfire incident in West Valley City within days. On October 19, police responded just after 12:30 p.m. to a shooting near 1161 West 2320 South, according to fox13now.com. Officers at that scene found a juvenile male with a gunshot wound, who was also taken to a hospital.
In that earlier case, an unidentified suspect was taken into custody at a Utah Transit Authority TRAX station in Salt Lake City, the station reported. Investigators recovered the firearm allegedly used in the shooting along with shell casings found at the scene. Roots Charter High School was briefly placed on lockdown as a preventive measure, though police said at the time there was no threat to the public.
No such update on suspects, weapons, or public safety has been released in connection with Saturday's shooting outside the IHOP. Detectives continue to gather information as the investigation unfolds.
