A Salt Lake City man is charged with multiple felonies after he allegedly shot and killed his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend, who was living in a tent in a homeless encampment.
William Henry Clark V, 33, was charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated murder and aggravated kidnapping, first degree felonies; and possession and use of a gun by a restricted person, a second-degree felony.
According to the charges, Salt Lake City police officers were called to the scene of a shooting at 900 South and 500 West on April 26 and found Ryan Prendergast, 21, who had suffered a gunshot wound, lying outside a tent. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
According to a witness, Clark — her former boyfriend — had accosted her and Prendergast, demanding that she come out of the tent or he would start shooting. When she got out of the tent, Clark approached her, put a gun to her cheek and said, “I should shoot you right now.” He ordered her to get into his car, and she refused.
At that point, Prendergast got out of the tent, the witness said, and Clark shot him.
According to police, Clark left voicemails on the witness’ phone threatening to “hurt her and her friends.” In multiple messages, he threatened to “start shooting,” and in a Facebook message, he wrote, “I’m gonna smash ur new man.”
Two days after the shooting, police located Clark at a home in Magna. He was arrested after a 12-hour standoff with police.
Another of Clark’s ex-girlfriends told police she loaned him the car he was driving, and she bought him a Glock 17 9mm gun because he is a convicted felon and could not buy a gun himself.
Clark was booked into the Salt Lake County jail, where he is being held without bail.
