OGDEN, Utah — Sean O’Connor has lived in the neighborhood near 5th and Gramercy for nine years and has never seen something like this before.
“I got a call from my wife this afternoon saying that we had a shooting, or somebody had been shot by her house. My mother lives with us, so I raced home as soon as I could to get here to make sure that my family was first and foremost okay,” he said
Tuesday afternoon, a 16-year-old was shot and killed, and police say the suspect is still at large.
Susan Pollex moved to Ogden a year ago and said it always felt like a quiet neighborhood.
“I was just outside enjoying the afternoon sunshine, and it was about the time that schools let out, and all of a sudden there was just tremendous — 'Bang, bang, bang,' about 10 to 15 times, and you could tell right away that it was gunshots and not fireworks,” she said.
They said that’s when police cars flooded the area.
“There were shell casings strung all throughout the road. Probably about 22 is what I counted,” O’Connor said.
“When the shots were fired, just from the echo of the buildings, it sounded like they were behind me, but they were actually in front of my building. And then when the police realized that, they had all their markers in the road where the bullet casings had been,” Pollex said.
Neighbors said after hearing how young the victim was, it makes them worry for their own children and grandchildren.
“The biggest thing that scares me the most is this took place in broad daylight, and if school had gotten out at that time, with all the other kids from Highland getting out and possibly surrounding schools here. I couldn't even imagine the gravity of the situation at that point,” O’Connor said.
“That impacts me very much, because I have two granddaughters who are becoming teenagers now, and you worry about them, you worry about their safety. What's going to happen at their school,” Pollex said.
While residents said they feel police and schools do everything they can, it makes them wonder what else needs to be done.
“It makes you wonder, what's going on? I mean, you can find this stuff anywhere else, but it's kind of one of those scenarios where it's like, not in our neighborhood. What's going on? What's happening? What can we do better?” O’Connor said.
Once police knew there was a shooting, local schools were put in a lockdown or a secured status.
“Police administration has been heavily involved in this from the moment this came out over the radio, city administration has been heavily involved in this, and have been working closely with Ogden school districts,” said Ogden Police Capt. Tim Scott.
Many schools Tuesday afternoon had police help with school release.
Police are asking residents in the area to check their doorbell camera footage for any details that may help with the investigation.
