A Utah man has been charged with murder after he shot and killed a man he said was trying to break into his house Thursday night.
Bradly Scott Hunt, 32, of Washington City, has been charged in 5th District Court with murder, a first-degree felony.
According to Washington City police, the victim, whose name has not been released, suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Hunt told police he had a “physical altercation” with the victim earlier Thursday. Police said Hunt added that he had been told the victim got a gun from his own home and left the area. Hunt told police his father then “put a shotgun near the front door in case the victim returned to their residence.”
According to a probable cause statement, Hunt told police he was in the backyard of his home about 10 p.m. Thursday when he heard his dogs barking. He went inside to investigate and, he said, he “observed the victim trying to get in a window.”
Hunt told police he “grabbed the shotgun, opened the front door, and then fired a shot at the victim.” The two did not exchange any words before the suspect fired, and Hunt “stated that he did not know if the victim was in possession of a firearm or not” — he saw something in the victim’s hand “but was unable to identify what it was.”
However, a witness told police Hunt went into the house when the dogs began to bark; returned to the backyard and “stated that the victim was out front”; and then went to a side gate. Two witnesses said they heard a gunshot from the area of the side gate; the second witness told police Hunt said he had shot the victim.
Hunt was booked into the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane. In addition to murder, he was charged with possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony; and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, class B misdemeanors. His bail was set at $100,000.
