***EDITOR'S NOTE: Shortly after this report aired on FOX 13 News, police announced that Kug had been arrested. The video above and article below are in their original form.***
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SALT LAKE CITY — The search is still underway for the man who police believe shot and killed 41-year-old Deliford Knight outside the Salt Palace Convention Center in broad daylight Saturday afternoon.
The Salt Lake City Police Department believes the man who pulled the trigger – 18-year-old Nogolweit “Nunu” Kug – is still on the loose. Police said he’s likely both armed and dangerous.
“This was an investigation that unfolded very quickly, and so our detectives have been following up on all of those leads,” said Brent Weisberg with the Salt Lake City Police Department. “[Officers] have been able to make two arrests in this case and we are still looking for the shooter in this case.”
Weisberg said the department believes Kug has left the state, but they don’t know which state he might be in now.
Police released Kug’s photo Monday night, hoping it will help track him down. But his family is worried about him. FOX 13 News spoke to his younger sister, Nyndeng Kug, who lives in Nebraska.
Her message to Utah law enforcement: “If you guys see my brother, don’t shoot. He’s a good boy. He just got caught with the wrong people.” She said she last spoke to him on Thursday.
Kug’s mother and sister call him “Nog.” They said he was born in Cairo, Egypt, before the family settled in Nebraska. Kug’s mother added her son recently came to Salt Lake to live with his father, but she has been concerned the teen was running with the wrong crowd.
With help from FOX 13's sister station in Omaha, we found Kug’s criminal record, showing he had two misdemeanor assault convictions. In both cases, he received probation and community service.
Utah State court records show Kug did have two petitions in juvenile court* which have not been taken in front of a judge yet. One was from July 2021 for obstruction of justice, and the other was from March 2022 for charges including aggravated robbery and being a minor with a firearm.
Weisberg added that police will continue to be vigilant at these large-scale events.
“Safety at large events is the number one priority for the salt lake city police department. We actually had officers that were working that area in downtown Salt Lake City when this event happened. It’s unfortunate that this happened – it does not represent downtown, it does not define our city,” said Weisberg.
Residents in the area say they are concerned about escalating violence.
“Obviously that’s a little upsetting when such things take place so close to where you live,” said Gregory Clark. “Salt Lake City has always traditionally been a pretty safe place compared to other cities.”
“I suspect that we’re better than most big cities,” said Scott Leckman. “I think most big cities have a lot of crimes and shootings and I think maybe that’s new here.”
Anyone with information about Kug’s whereabouts is asked to call the Salt Lake City Police Department or 911 because Kug is believed to be armed and dangerous.
*As a news organization, FOX 13 News does not typically release the names of minors who are charged with crimes. But given the nature of this violent crime, and the fact that the teen believed to be responsible is on the loose, we chose to do so in this case.
