CEDAR CITY — An 18-year-old man is facing multiple charges following a shooting incident that left another man dead in Kanarraville on Wednesday evening.
Kyle Black Jessop was booked into Iron County Jail at 4:10 a.m. on Thursday, where he is being held on suspicion of two counts of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony, one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, a third-degree felony, and two misdemeanor counts related to drug, paraphernalia and alcohol possession.
According to the probable cause statement filed in support of his arrest, Jessop is also being investigated in connection with the shooting death.
“One of the firearms seized during the search warrant was identified as the weapon suspected to cause the death of the male,” the affidavit alleges.
As previously reported, shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday, Iron County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a shooting at a Kanarraville address. After finding one man dead at the scene, law enforcement officers took another man into custody for questioning.
The charging document states that Jessop himself was the initial 911 caller.
According to the affidavit, Jessop told responding officers that he had shot the other man with a rifle after the man had allegedly attempted to rape him.
In addition, Jessop allegedly admitted to being under the influence of a controlled substance (marijuana THC product) at the time of the incident, as well as having consumed three cans of beer.
During the search of the property, investigators reportedly found 46 five-gallon buckets filled with a leafy green substance consistent with marijuana, along with a book with recipes to make cannabis oil, an industrial vacuum sealer and a dehumidifier, according to the affidavit.
The identity of the man who died has not yet been released as of 10 a.m. Thursday.
Iron County Sheriff’s Lt. David Mitchell said the Sheriff’s Office would be providing additional details during a press conference on Thursday.
In urging that Jessop be held without bail, the arresting deputy wrote, “Jessop has family ties to a religious organization that is known to harbor and aid in the escape from the court’s jurisdiction.”
This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials 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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