Utah prosecutors review charges against student accused of shooting teen outside Sandy middle school

Investigation • Gun not expected in fight that allegedly was pre-arranged.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim ó who is a student at Hillcrest High School ó was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. for two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim -- who is a student at Hillcrest High School -- was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Kalani Matthews, 17, and friends watch the police scene from across the street from Union Middle School after a 16-year-old boy was critically injured in a shooting outside the Sandy school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim -- who is a student at Hillcrest High School -- was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Kalani Matthews, 17, right, and his friends gather around Rachel Otteson, 18, as they try to identify the Union Middle School shooting suspect in photographs. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim -- who is a student at Hillcrest High School -- was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Kalani Matthews, 17, center, and friends watch the police scene across the street at Union Middle School. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim -- who is a student at Hillcrest High School -- was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"He's alive?" cried Mason Lewis, 14, with his hands on his head, after Dusti Rowland, left, and Rachel Otteson, 18, right, told him that a teen was recovering after surgery. Lewis said he ate lunch with the victim at Hillcrest High School hours before the shooting occurred. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school.The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim ó who is a student at Hillcrest High School ó was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Mason Lewis, 14, is comforted by a passerby after learning of a shooting outside Union Middle School. Lewis said he ate lunch with the victim at Hillcrest High School hours before the shooting occurred. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim -- who is a student at Hillcrest High School -- was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Kalani Matthews, 17, right, gets a hug from Dusti Rowland, 16, across the street from Union Middle School after a 16-year-old boy was critically injured in a shooting outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim -- who is a student at Hillcrest High School -- was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.

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Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim ó who is a student at Hillcrest High School ó was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. for two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim -- who is a student at Hillcrest High School -- was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Kalani Matthews, 17, and friends watch the police scene from across the street from Union Middle School after a 16-year-old boy was critically injured in a shooting outside the Sandy school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim -- who is a student at Hillcrest High School -- was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Kalani Matthews, 17, right, and his friends gather around Rachel Otteson, 18, as they try to identify the Union Middle School shooting suspect in photographs. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim -- who is a student at Hillcrest High School -- was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Kalani Matthews, 17, center, and friends watch the police scene across the street at Union Middle School. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim -- who is a student at Hillcrest High School -- was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "He's alive?" cried Mason Lewis, 14, with his hands on his head, after Dusti Rowland, left, and Rachel Otteson, 18, right, told him that a teen was recovering after surgery. Lewis said he ate lunch with the victim at Hillcrest High School hours before the shooting occurred. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school.The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim ó who is a student at Hillcrest High School ó was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Mason Lewis, 14, is comforted by a passerby after learning of a shooting outside Union Middle School. Lewis said he ate lunch with the victim at Hillcrest High School hours before the shooting occurred. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim -- who is a student at Hillcrest High School -- was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Kalani Matthews, 17, right, gets a hug from Dusti Rowland, 16, across the street from Union Middle School after a 16-year-old boy was critically injured in a shooting outside Union Middle School in Sandy by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim -- who is a student at Hillcrest High School -- was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. to treat two gunshot wounds. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody.

By Courtney Tanner The Salt Lake Tribune

· October 28, 2016 10:21 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Prosecutors screened but did not file charges Friday against a 14-year-old boy accused of shooting a 16-year-old boy outside a Sandy middle school this week.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said his office reviewed the case and will consider filing charges next week.

On Tuesday, the 14-year-old Union Middle School student allegedly fired at and shot twice the victim, who is a student at Hillcrest High School. The two had agreed to meet for a fight about 3 p.m. that day, police have said.

The victim was transported to a local hospital and remained in critical condition Friday, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The boy is expected to recover.

The suspect was arrested and taken to a juvenile-detention center on suspicion of one count of attempted murder, a first-degree felony, and two counts of discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, also first-degree felonies.

Carriger has declined to release where the victim was hit and how the suspect got the gun, saying that information is part of the investigation.

ctanner@sltrib.com Twitter: @CourtneyLTanner