TOOELE, Utah (Scripps News Salt Lake City)— A search warrant obtained by Scripps News Salt Lake City sheds new light into the death of a Tooele man that led to the arrest of a 9-year-old boy last month, including that the child was the son of the victim.
Toole City Police initially responded to a residence in Salt Lake City initially for a possible suicide attempt. An investigation found a father had been shot in the back of the head and had suffered cuts to his head, face, hands and arms, leading to the arrest of his 9-year-old son. (Scripps News Salt Lake City)
According to the warrant, police believe a smartphone and tablet will “shed light on how and/or why these specific methods and weapons were used in the homicide.”
The 9-year-old was arrested on Feb. 16 after a 32-year-old man was found unconscious and bleeding from his head before being transported to the hospital where he later died. The warrant shows that police were originally called to the Tooele home for a possible suicide attempt.
Eight people were believed to be present at the home during the time of the man’s death, including the victim, his 9-year-old son, two adult roommates and their four young children.
Police say the victim and his son went to bed early in a room they shared “due to behavioral problems.” The warrant details how the boy allegedly came out of the room and claimed his father was bleeding from the head and was dead.
An investigation found the father had been shot in the back of the head and had suffered cuts to his head, face, hands and arms. The search warrant also stated the lacerations appeared to be “defensive wounds.”
In addition, a handgun was found under the bed with one bullet missing, along with a “tomahawk style hatchet” covered in blood. A shell casing was also found in the corner of the bedroom with a bullet hole found in a curtain and window frame case.
Others in the home told detectives that the boy spent “a lot of time” on the smartphone and tablet “watching videos and playing video games,” some that were deemed not age-appropriate. When the boy shared videos with other children in the home, he was disciplined, according to the warrant.
According to the warrant, police believe a smartphone and tablet will “shed light on how and/or why these specific methods and weapons were used in the homicide.” (Scripps News Salt Lake City)
One of the games mentioned was Modern Warfare: Warzone, a game the warrant says is known to “incorporate the same weapons in gameplay that were found and used in the assault, a 9mm Glock-type handgun and a tomahawk.”
The search warrant goes on to describe the tomahawk strikes as occurring after a single shot to the head, saying such “particularly gruesome, violent” methods are inconsistent with the age of the suspect.
Scripps News Salt Lake City is not naming the victim or the 9-year-old due to the suspect’s age.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Salt Lake City, an E.W. Scripps Company.
