SALT LAKE CITY — Witnesses said shots were fired at a liquor store in Taylorsville on Thursday afternoon, with police later stating that two people had been injured.
A large police presence gathered outside the store near 4455 S. 2700 West to investigate the shooting.
Lt. Aaron Cheshire with the Taylorsville Police Department said around 2:17 p.m., the police department received a 911 call about an active shooter.
Officers arrived within one minute of the dispatch call, along with officers from West Valley City.
A witness inside the liquor store said he saw a man with a “dark hood” enter the store shortly after he heard “loud thuds” from outside the building.
A second witness said he saw another man pull out a weapon after the man entered the store, which is when the witness fled to the back of the building.
Police said the shooter shot at someone outside the building before chasing the man inside. The shooter entered the building and shot the man he had been chasing.
A Utah Department of Public Safety officer who was already inside the building at the time opened fire at the shooter, injuring him.
The DPS said the officer inside was off duty on personal business.
“The trooper returned fire, securing the scene and preventing further injuries. We are grateful for the trooper’s swift actions,” the DPS stated.
Kinaan Javed and his friend, Rohit Khanna, both doctors in town for a ski trip walked into the state liquor store in Taylorsville moments before gunfire erupted and a shooter entered the store.
“We’ll never forget those moments when we were in the back of the store there was no door out and gunshots were still going on,” Javed said.
Both people shot were taken to the hospital in stable condition.
“It could’ve gone a hundred different ways and most of those not very good so just very fortunate that my friend and I made it out ok, ” Khanna said.
Police did not know if there was a relationship between the shooter and the victim.
The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services posted a statement on X that said, in part, it cares deeply about its employees and are grateful no one was harmed. The store is closed until further notice.
The DPS confirmed that the trooper involved was not injured and that the Salt Lake County OICI Protocol Team will be taking over the investigation.
This is a breaking news story. This story may be updated.
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