One man was killed early Saturday morning after a melee where patrons were shooting guns inside and outside of the Echo nightclub in downtown Salt Lake City.
“I think we’re very lucky we didn’t have more people injured,” said Salt Lake City Police Detective Greg Wilking. “It was a very dangerous situation, especially with patrons fleeing also discharging weapons.”
Wilking said the shooting began about 1:30 a.m. Saturday when a man initially left the club at 134 West Pierpont Avenue. He came back through another door and began firing a weapon in the air and pointing it at customers according to witnesses.
A nightclub employee then went to his vehicle, retrieved his own gun, and returned and shot the man.
Wilking said when police arrived, they attempted life-saving procedures on man who was shot. But he was later declared dead at the scene. Police later identified him as Gustav Denecamp, 27.
Wilking said many patrons fled when the shooting began. Some went to their cars, and then fired off gun rounds into the air.”
“Then on top of that as we’re rendering aid, a couple of individuals from within the nightclub interfered with trying to lock down the scene and rendering aid,” Wilking said.
Those two people were arrested for interference.
”So we had a giant mess,” Wilking said.
He added that the employee involved in the shooting was cooperating with police, who are reviewing whether any charges will be filed against him. Also, he said police were able to gain control of the situation without firing their own weapons.
