Man arrested in connection with fatal Midvale apartment shooting

Unified Police on Monday arrested a man wanted in connection with the August shooting death of a 31-year-old man at a Midvale apartment complex.

Gabriel Gurule, 35, was found by officers at a Holiday Inn Express hotel in the 4440 block of Century Drive, and arrested about 2 p.m. without incident, Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal said.

Gurule is being held in the Salt Lake County jail on suspicion of aggravated murder and other charges.

Officers have been looking for Gurule since Aug. 26, when police say he shot and killed Justen L. Lefave in the doorway of the State Street apartment Lefave shared with a male roommate and that man's teenage son. Both were home at the time of the shooting.

According to police, Lefave opened to door to a knock, and conversed with two unidentified females. Gurule stepped out from behind the females, shot Lefave and fled.

A motive for the shooting remains unclear and witnesses told police they did not know Gurule.

"The impression we get is that [Lefave] didn't know him either," Hoyal said in August.

A check of court records shows Gurule has a criminal history that includes convictions on assault and drug possession charges. In October, Davis County prosecutors filed felony and misdemeanor drug possession charges against Gurule. He made an initial court appearance in Farmington last week and was scheduled for another hearing on Dec. 31.

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