SALT LAKE CITY — A man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries after allegedly being shot by his ex-wife while at an indoor playground in Salt Lake City on Friday evening.
The woman, 34-year-old Sarah Huda Elias, was taken into custody, and their two children are with police social workers at this time.
The arrest report says Elias' ex-husband called police from the Kids Empire indoor playground for help with a custodial dispute. He said Elias was not answering his phone calls regarding court-ordered parental visitation with their children, so he went to the indoor playground because she went there often.
Police said Elias' ex-husband told them that she was there and she drew a weapon on him. Loud screams were then heard on the phone call before it disconnected. Other witnesses then called 911 to report a shooting.
Witnesses at the playground later told detectives that Elias was acting strangely before the incident. They said she kept looking out the windows and it seemed like she was expecting someone.
When her ex-husband pulled into the parking lot, she "turned to her daughter and an employee and eerily smiled and said It's showtime," court documents state.
"Sarah's face immediately returned to [its] blank or neutral look like it had earlier with little to no emotion or expression," police wrote in the arrest report.
Witnesses said Elias went outside and talked to the victim, and then the victim came inside and told an employee to call 911 because she had pulled a gun on him. Just seconds later, Elias allegedly came into the lobby, pulled out a handgun and shot the victim in the chest.
Elias was taken into custody and later booked on attempted murder and domestic violence in the presence of a child. She is being held without bail.
The victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
