SALT LAKE CITY — A 21-year-old is being held in custody on murder charges after police say he was involved in a deadly shooting in Salt Lake City's Liberty Park.
Dylan Lee McDonald, 21, was arrested on Sunday.
According to court documents submitted by the Salt Lake City Police Department, on Sunday at 3:33 p.m., they were called to the park for reports of a shooting that had just taken place. When officers arrived, they found the victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. A short time later, the victim was declared deceased.
The victim was identified Tuesday as 25-year-old Marquise Resendez.
Witnesses in the area identified McDonald to police as the shooter. While being taken into custody, officers say that McDonald made several utterances about the victim threatening a lady with a gun.
McDonald also stated he had gotten into a verbal altercation with the victim after trying to take a dog from them, which McDonald believed belonged to someone else.
The verbal altercation escalated with pushing, and according to McDonald, the victim slapped him and reached for something before McDonald pulled his gun and fired.
A 9mm firearm, a single 9mm bullet casing, and a black holster were found in the area where the shooting occurred. Also found was a lighter that was shaped like a black pistol.
Witnesses told investigators that the victim and McDonald were arguing over a dog the victim had with him. McDonald allegedly approached the victim to return the dog to its owner before the altercation escalated to a slap and the shooting.
Detectives say witnesses stated that the victim never had a gun and wasn't reaching for anything before the shots were fired. One witness stated he went over and removed the lighter to show it to McDonald before the police arrived.
While in police custody, McDonald claimed that his glasses were knocked off his face in the altercation, causing him to not be able to see.
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