SOUTH JORDAN, Utah – Months after two teens in South Jordan died of gunshot wounds, police have stated the case is an incident of murder-suicide and offered more details about the events leading up to the deaths.
Taylor Wheeler, 12, and Dayton Gessel, 15, died in November, and at the time the medical examiner classified the incident as a murder-suicide but officials provided few details about what may have happened.
Sam Winkler of the South Jordan Police Department confirms to FOX 13 News that after investigating they believe the teens were playing with guns stolen by another teen and that one teen accidentally shot the other before taking his own life.
Winkler said after one teen shot and killed the other, the first teen became so grief-stricken that he took his own life.
Winkler said charges have been filed against a 16-year-old who allegedly stole the weapons from a family member. There were several other teens present when the accidental shooting occurred, some of whom immediately contacted authorities. Neither of the deceased lived in the home where the shooting occurred.
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