A young man and a teenager were arrested Tuesday in connection with the killing of 18-year-old Naod Welday, who was found shot to death early Aug. 3 near the trailhead of the popular Mount Olympus hike in Holladay.
The 20-year-old man and 15-year-old boy suspected of homicide were arrested Tuesday after law enforcement executed search warrants at two separate homes, according to the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The fatal shooting happened about two hours before sunrise Aug. 3 in the parking lot of the Mount Olympus trailhead, according to a court document explaining the probable cause for their arrests.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera holds a news conference at the Salt Lake County Government Center to announce the arrests of two people in connection with the recent fatal shooting of an 18-year-old near the Mount Olympus trailhead, Tuesday, August. 13, 2024.
Few details were initially known about Welday’s death. The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office last week had asked the public for help as investigators scrounged for leads.
But the document filed Tuesday sheds more light on what authorities suspect led to Welday’s death. It states Welday had been with at least two friends near the trailhead when an “altercation” began to unfold with another group, which authorities believe included the arrested individuals.
During the confrontation, Welday and his friends locked themselves in their car as the other, larger group began to smash their car windows, the document states.
While the car was being broken into, Welday called 911. The call recorded voices shouting, windows shattering and three to four gunshots, according to the probable cause document.
Welday was fatally shot. Two friends Welday was with were both injured — one was struck by a member of the other group, and the other was hit with a hammer, causing a head wound that required treatment at a hospital, the document states.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The popular Mount Olympus trailhead in Holladay is pictured on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. An 18-year-old was found shot to death near the trailhead early Aug. 3, 2024.
Evidence at the scene led investigators to suspect the 20-year-old arrested Tuesday, including a Toronto Blue Jays baseball cap left near the driver’s side of the car where Welday was shot, the document states. The 20-year-old had been captured in a video wearing a similar cap five days before the shooting.
Cellphone records also placed the 20-year-old near the scene of the shooting, the document noted.
The circumstances leading up to the altercation and fatal shooting remain unclear. Authorities suspect both the 20-year-old and the 15-year-old are gang members, according to a news release. But investigators noted Tuesday that Welday and his two injured friends are not suspected of gang activity.
Neither of the individuals arrested had been formally charged with a crime as of Tuesday afternoon, court records indicated. The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not name defendants unless they have been formally charged, and the news organization generally does not name juveniles suspected of crimes unless they have been charged as adults.
The 20-year-old was booked into the Salt Lake County jail without the option for bond on suspicion of murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and assault, jail records show. The 15-year-old was also booked into jail but more information was not immediately available as he is a minor.
Authorities continue to investigate the case. Anyone with information may call 801-840-4000.
“The Sheriff’s Office, including the Metro Gang Unit, will continue to work tirelessly to combat gang violence and protect our community,” Sheriff Rosie Rivera said during a media briefing on Tuesday.
