C
Charles Farley
Guest
Deseret Morning News
February 14, 2007
6 minutes of horror
Shooter aimed to kill as many as he could
By Pat Reavy and Ben Winslow
In just six minutes, 18-year-old Sulejman Talovic left a tragic path
of destruction that forever changed the lives of dozens of people.
"His intent was to shoot as many people as he possibly could," said
Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank.
Police released details Tuesday on Talovic's shooting rampage that
left five people dead before off-duty Ogden police officer Ken Hammond
and four Salt Lake City police officers killed him in "a shootout,"
Burbank said.
Four other shooting victims are hospitalized.
Talovic was armed with a shotgun, a .38-caliber handgun, and "a
backpack full of ammunition," Burbank said. Around the man's waist was
a bandolier of shotgun shells.
"He had a pump shotgun," said one witness, DeEtta Barta. "He was
shooting, and he shot about four shots."
Barta and her friend Ron Mason were celebrating her birthday at the
Desert Edge Brewery when they looked out the window and saw Talovic
emerging from the parking terrace, firing away. "It didn't seem real
to me," Mason said.
Ajka Omerovic, who said she was Talovic's aunt, visited the home
Tuesday afternoon. She told the Deseret Morning News that Talovic had
been "a good boy." She said the family are Muslims from Bosnia who had
lived in the vicinity of Sarajevo.
Investigators believe that Talovic pulled into the west parking
terrace of Trolley Square about 6:44 p.m. on Monday. He got out of his
car and shot 52-year-old Jeffery Walker and his son, 16-year-old AJ
Walker. Jeffery Walker was killed. AJ was taken to a local hospital
and was listed in critical but stable condition. Barta, who is an
intensive-care nurse, said she rushed to help the young man, who had
been shot in the head. "He had a bullet lodged superficially in his
temple, and his ear was bleeding," she said.
On his way into the mall, Shawn Munns' family said Talovic shot Munns,
34, in the courtyard near Green Street Social Club. Munns was heading
to a car when he heard a noise and turned a little.
Munns' sister-in-law, Jodie Sparrow, said the man heard Talovic say,
"Die, mother-****er!" as Munns was shot twice. Munns then stumbled
into the Hard Rock Cafe for help. He was reported to be in serious
condition at a hospital Tuesday but alert and talking to his family.
Salt Lake City police say Talovic entered Trolley Square's west
entrance, where he shot and killed 29-year-old Vanessa Quinn in the
hallway. People inside the Bath and Body Works store watched
helplessly as the woman was gunned down. "We saw him go in the back
door of the mall and into the store across from Bath and Body Works,
and he shot a girl right in front of the door," Madilee Puttuck said,
her voice shaking with fear. She and others locked themselves in a
bathroom to hide from the gunman.
Emergency dispatchers were flooded with 911 calls. So many calls were
made to the Salt Lake City Police Department's 911 dispatch center
that the city's overflow system kicked in, and calls started being
rerouted to the Valley Emergency Communications Center. The center
received approximately 50 calls from Trolley Square in a 10 to 15
minute period.
Police said Talovic next moved to Cabin Fever, a novelty and card
shop, where he shot four people inside, killing three. Carolyn Tuft,
44, and her 15-year-old daughter, Kirsten Hinckley, were shot.
Hinckley was killed, as were Brad Frantz, 24, and Teresa Ellis, 29.
Tuft was taken to the hospital and was listed in critical but stable
condition Tuesday.
Police said Talovic also shot Stacy Hanson, 53. Hanson was reported to
be in critical condition at a hospital Tuesday.
Witnesses told the Deseret Morning News that Talovic appeared to be
"hunting" people. Some described a calm expression on his face as he
aimed his shotgun and fired.
Off-duty Ogden police officer Hammond, who was eating dinner with his
pregnant wife at the Rodizio Grill, heard the gunfire. Walking into
the mall, he spotted people on the ground - and saw Talovic.
"I noticed a man with a shotgun walking out of the business where the
people were seriously injured," he said Tuesday. "He took a shot at
me."
Hammond said he backed up for safety and hit the ground, losing sight
of Talovic for a brief time.
Salt Lake City police arrived at Trolley Square at 6:47 p.m., and four
officers formed an "Emergency Action Team," a police tactic in which
officers immediately enter a situation to prevent more people from
being shot. It's a change from the days before the Columbine High
School tragedy, when officers would wait for more backup and set up a
game plan.
The officers "rushed right in" without worry for their own safety, the
chief said. Hammond was involved in the shootout with Talovic, and
Salt Lake City police arrived and helped corner the gunman.
"There was a shootout," said Barrett Dodds, an antique-shop owner in
the mall. At approximately 6:50 p.m., officers reported the gunman was
down. "There was blood all over that place," Dodds said.
Burbank praised the law enforcement agencies involved, which included
most officers in the Salt Lake Valley, plus the off-duty Ogden
officer. "There's no question (Hammond's) quick actions saved the
lives of numerous people," Burbank said.
http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660195489,00.html
February 14, 2007
6 minutes of horror
Shooter aimed to kill as many as he could
By Pat Reavy and Ben Winslow
In just six minutes, 18-year-old Sulejman Talovic left a tragic path
of destruction that forever changed the lives of dozens of people.
"His intent was to shoot as many people as he possibly could," said
Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank.
Police released details Tuesday on Talovic's shooting rampage that
left five people dead before off-duty Ogden police officer Ken Hammond
and four Salt Lake City police officers killed him in "a shootout,"
Burbank said.
Four other shooting victims are hospitalized.
Talovic was armed with a shotgun, a .38-caliber handgun, and "a
backpack full of ammunition," Burbank said. Around the man's waist was
a bandolier of shotgun shells.
"He had a pump shotgun," said one witness, DeEtta Barta. "He was
shooting, and he shot about four shots."
Barta and her friend Ron Mason were celebrating her birthday at the
Desert Edge Brewery when they looked out the window and saw Talovic
emerging from the parking terrace, firing away. "It didn't seem real
to me," Mason said.
Ajka Omerovic, who said she was Talovic's aunt, visited the home
Tuesday afternoon. She told the Deseret Morning News that Talovic had
been "a good boy." She said the family are Muslims from Bosnia who had
lived in the vicinity of Sarajevo.
Investigators believe that Talovic pulled into the west parking
terrace of Trolley Square about 6:44 p.m. on Monday. He got out of his
car and shot 52-year-old Jeffery Walker and his son, 16-year-old AJ
Walker. Jeffery Walker was killed. AJ was taken to a local hospital
and was listed in critical but stable condition. Barta, who is an
intensive-care nurse, said she rushed to help the young man, who had
been shot in the head. "He had a bullet lodged superficially in his
temple, and his ear was bleeding," she said.
On his way into the mall, Shawn Munns' family said Talovic shot Munns,
34, in the courtyard near Green Street Social Club. Munns was heading
to a car when he heard a noise and turned a little.
Munns' sister-in-law, Jodie Sparrow, said the man heard Talovic say,
"Die, mother-****er!" as Munns was shot twice. Munns then stumbled
into the Hard Rock Cafe for help. He was reported to be in serious
condition at a hospital Tuesday but alert and talking to his family.
Salt Lake City police say Talovic entered Trolley Square's west
entrance, where he shot and killed 29-year-old Vanessa Quinn in the
hallway. People inside the Bath and Body Works store watched
helplessly as the woman was gunned down. "We saw him go in the back
door of the mall and into the store across from Bath and Body Works,
and he shot a girl right in front of the door," Madilee Puttuck said,
her voice shaking with fear. She and others locked themselves in a
bathroom to hide from the gunman.
Emergency dispatchers were flooded with 911 calls. So many calls were
made to the Salt Lake City Police Department's 911 dispatch center
that the city's overflow system kicked in, and calls started being
rerouted to the Valley Emergency Communications Center. The center
received approximately 50 calls from Trolley Square in a 10 to 15
minute period.
Police said Talovic next moved to Cabin Fever, a novelty and card
shop, where he shot four people inside, killing three. Carolyn Tuft,
44, and her 15-year-old daughter, Kirsten Hinckley, were shot.
Hinckley was killed, as were Brad Frantz, 24, and Teresa Ellis, 29.
Tuft was taken to the hospital and was listed in critical but stable
condition Tuesday.
Police said Talovic also shot Stacy Hanson, 53. Hanson was reported to
be in critical condition at a hospital Tuesday.
Witnesses told the Deseret Morning News that Talovic appeared to be
"hunting" people. Some described a calm expression on his face as he
aimed his shotgun and fired.
Off-duty Ogden police officer Hammond, who was eating dinner with his
pregnant wife at the Rodizio Grill, heard the gunfire. Walking into
the mall, he spotted people on the ground - and saw Talovic.
"I noticed a man with a shotgun walking out of the business where the
people were seriously injured," he said Tuesday. "He took a shot at
me."
Hammond said he backed up for safety and hit the ground, losing sight
of Talovic for a brief time.
Salt Lake City police arrived at Trolley Square at 6:47 p.m., and four
officers formed an "Emergency Action Team," a police tactic in which
officers immediately enter a situation to prevent more people from
being shot. It's a change from the days before the Columbine High
School tragedy, when officers would wait for more backup and set up a
game plan.
The officers "rushed right in" without worry for their own safety, the
chief said. Hammond was involved in the shootout with Talovic, and
Salt Lake City police arrived and helped corner the gunman.
"There was a shootout," said Barrett Dodds, an antique-shop owner in
the mall. At approximately 6:50 p.m., officers reported the gunman was
down. "There was blood all over that place," Dodds said.
Burbank praised the law enforcement agencies involved, which included
most officers in the Salt Lake Valley, plus the off-duty Ogden
officer. "There's no question (Hammond's) quick actions saved the
lives of numerous people," Burbank said.
http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660195489,00.html
