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Suspect in deadly road rage shooting arrested after SR-201 shuts down for hours
UPDATE 10/07 6:26 — The suspect in a deadly road rage shooting that shut down several lanes of traffic on SR-201 on Monday morning has been identified.
Thomas Jim Long, 44, was arrested on one count of murder, a first-degree felony; one count of reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor; and one count of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony. Each offense had “road rage” written next to it on the arrest document.
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According to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Salt Lake County, Long “fired multiple shots at the victim” — leading to officials finding 15 shell casings at the scene. However, the exact number of shots fired is still undetermined.
Officials were dispatched to the scene around 5:30 a.m. on the morning of Monday, Oct. 7, upon reports of a “road rage incident involving gunfire.” Long told officers he was protecting himself, according to documents.
Police reviewed footage from another driver’s dashcam, which showed Long’s vehicle initially getting cut off by the victim’s car.
“Following this, Thomas Long engaged in aggressive driving behaviors, including brake-checking and cutting off the victim,” the affidavit said.
The footage from the dashcam also reportedly showed Long swerving and changing lanes without signaling, in addition to showing the victim’s car colliding with Long’s car “multiple times,” according to documents.
After more “aggressive driving,” both vehicles went into a concrete barrier, which is when Long reportedly fired at the victim several times.
“These shots resulted in fatal injuries to the victim,” the affidavit said.
Long was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on the aforementioned charges on Monday afternoon.
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
UPDATE 10/07 3:34 p.m. — Eastbound lanes on SR-201 have reopened to traffic, according to UDOT.
ORIGINAL STORY: Road rage death brings SR-201 morning traffic to a halt
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Police activity on SR-201 has brought traffic to a halt from West Valley City into South Salt Lake.
Utah Highway Patrol said the eastbound lanes of SR-201 have been closed at Redwood Road for an “ongoing police investigation.” Cpl. Eddie Wright told ABC4.com that officials were called out to the scene on a road rage incident that ended with shots being fired around 5:30 a.m.
Wright confirmed one person died as a result of the incident and one person has been taken into custody. Identifying details of both the victim and the suspect, including names, ages, or genders, have not been publicly released.
According to the Utah Department of Transportation traffic map, traffic on SR-201 has been backed up from Redwood Road to Mountain View Corridor. The congested traffic has led to backups along Bangerter Highway from SR-201 to about 3100 South and on northbound I-215 near the SR-201 interchange.
The traffic slowdown has also caused several other crashes, according to the traffic map. UDOT reports several crashes along SR-201 and one crash on Bangerter Highway.
Drivers were advised to expect delays and to take an alternate route if possible. The eastbound lanes of the highway were reopened by 1:30 p.m. the same day.
This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as new information becomes available.
MJ Jewkes contributed to this report.
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