Series of Real-Time Reports on a Multiple Victim Shooting Incident in Salt Lake City, Utah, 04/15/99
EmergencyNet News *FLASH* Report
4/15/99 - 12:17CDT
Sniper Incident in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, UT (EmergencyNet News) - ERRI Sr. analyst Don Hiett is reporting that a
sniper incident is underway in Salt Lake City at the time of this report. According to
eyewitness, several ambulances have responded to the KSL TV station where several people
have reportedly been shot by an unknown sniper. Few other details were immediately
available. EmergencyNet News is monitoring events in Salt Lake and will provide updates as
more information become available.
EmergenncyNet News - "Instant Update"
04/15/99 - 12:34CDT
(Correction)
Salt Lake City (EmergencyNet News) -- Secondary information from our correspondent in Salt
Lake City indicates that the sniper incident in Salt Lake City is at a Mormon Historical
Library on West Temple street, not at KSL TV as previously indicated. The library is
across the street from the TV station. Preliminary reports from the SLC fire dept. say
that at many as five (5) people have been shot and the incident is still on-going at the
time of this report. EmergencyNet News correspondent Don Hiett is two blocks from the
incident and will provide updates as circumstances permit.
EmergenncyNet News - "Instant Update"
04/15/99 - 13:15CDT
(Addition)
Salt Lake City (EmergencyNet News) -- Concerns have been raised of some sort of explosive
device on the scene of a shooting incident at a library in SLC today. Police report that
six (6) people have been wounded, at least two critically. The incident is still on-going
at this time. Officially unconfirmed information says that there may be a second gunman
involved in the incident. Police describe the scene as "tense" and that the
situation is still dynamic. EmergencyNet News continues to monitor the incident....
ERRI ** FLASH ** REPORT
EmergencyNet NEWS Service
Thursday, April 15, 1999
1830 EDT
HORROR IN SALT LAKE CITY
From the ERRI Watch Center
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (EmergencyNet News) - Police said that a gunman opened fire Thursday
at the Mormon church's Family History Library, killing two people and wounding four others
before he was shot to death by police officers. Police Chief Ruben Ortega said 17 people
on the second floor who had locked themselves inside when the shooting began at 1030 MDT
were evacuated unharmed early this afternoon as SWAT teams searched the building. Police
were fairly certain there was only one gunman involved. There were early reports that
there were two men shooting at the library.
A library security guard and a female patron were shot to death and the suspect was killed
by police. Ortega said police had identified the gunman, who had a local address, a wife,
children and a prior criminal record. His name was not immediately released. Police did
not know the motive for the attack.
The gunman did exchange gunfire with police. After he was shot, he was taken out of the
building to an ambulance parked in front of a nearby restaurant, but paramedics believed
he might be wired with an explosive and the area was evacuated. He died in the ambulance.
Police said he had no explosives on his body.
Four wounded victims included a police officer. The wounds were not believed to be
life-threatening.
Witnesses said the gunman entered the library and quickly fired off a dozen rounds. One
witness said: "He came in the lobby and shot a lady in the head and two or
three other men."
Shots were fired as much as 45 minutes after officers arrived on the scene, at first
leading police to believe there might be a second gunman.
Family History, the largest genealogical library in the world, is directly across the
street from Temple Square, site of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Salt
Lake Temple and Tabernacle. According to a church Web site, it has more than 2 million
rolls of microfilm copies of census and other records from more than 100 countries.
A local television station employee said a man matching the description of the suspect
asked her for directions to the Family History Library earlier this morning. The man, who
appeared to be in his late 50s, was bearded and wore disheveled clothes. The man drove a
yellow moving truck, which was found early in the afternoon about three blocks away from
the library. A police bomb squad was carefully going over the truck to see if it was
rigged with a bomb.
(c) Copyright, EmergencyNet NEWS Service, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
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