ST. GEORGE — An investigation opened Friday after a teenage boy arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound, which ultimately led to the recovery of three firearms and potential charges for at least two underaged suspects.
On Friday afternoon, a 16-year-old arrived at St. George Regional Hospital with a gunshot wound to his foot. A St. George Police officer stationed at the hospital was advised of the situation, which is standard in situations involving firearms.
St. George Police Officer Tiffany Mitchell told St. George News that the teen’s account of how he sustained the injury did not match up with what the medical staff found while treating the wound, particularly the bullet’s trajectory. As a result, the officer began to question the teen’s account of the events that led up to his arrival at the emergency room.
As suspicions increased, the officer advised the Police Department, and the detective unit was called out to open an investigation that continued into the early morning hours of Saturday.
After speaking with the teen being treated, the individual who brought the teen to the emergency room hours earlier and others, detectives learned the teen was with another boy at the Snake Hollow Bike Park on Warrior Way in St. George when the teen reportedly shot himself in the foot with a firearm.
Investigators then obtained a warrant to search one of the juvenile’s homes allegedly connected with the incident.
During the search, detectives found three firearms. A check of the serial numbers indicated that two of the guns had been reported lost or stolen, Mitchell said, and the guns were subsequently recovered by police.
The case has been referred to the juvenile courts for review and potential charges, Mitchell said, noting that with the ongoing investigation, no further details are being released at this time.
With the suspects being minors, their identities are not being released by police.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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