Trolley Square shooting

Infobox civilian attack
title=Trolley Square shooting|

caption=Candlelight vigil at the Salt Lake City Public Library for victims of the Trolley Square shooting.
location= Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
target=Trolley Square
date=Monday, February 12, 2007
time= 6:44 p.m.
timezone=MST
type=Mass murder,
fatalities=6 (including the perpetrator)
injuries=4
perps = Sulejman Talović
weapons = Remington 870 and .38 revolver

The Trolley Square shooting was a shooting spree that occurred on February 12, 2007, at Trolley Square Mall in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. A lone gunman killed five bystanders and wounded four others before being shot dead by police.

The shooting

On February 12, 2007, at 6:44 PM MST, Sulejman Talović began a deadly shooting spree in Trolley Square resulting in the deaths of five bystanders and the shooter himself, as well as the wounding of at least four others. Talović was described as wearing a white shirt, a tan trenchcoat and a mullet.cite web|url=http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5218341|title=Emotionless killer gunned down victims randomly|publisher=Salt Lake Tribune|date=2007-02-13|accessdate=2007-02-13] He carried both a shotgun and a handgun,cite web|url=http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5216389|title=Trolley Square killer, 18, had two weapons, police say|publisher=Salt Lake Tribune|date=2007-02-13|accessdate=2007-02-13] as well as a backpack full of ammunition.cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17124042/|title=Officer called hero following Utah rampage|publisher=Associated Press|date=2007-02-13|accessdate=2007-02-13]

The gunman's rampage was stopped after trading shots with off-duty police officer Kenneth Hammond of the Ogden City Police Department and Sgt. Andrew Oblad of the Salt Lake City Police Department . The final confrontation, in which Talović was killed, occurred in the Pottery Barn Kids home furnishing store. [cite web|url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660196435,00.html|title=Police, DA give further details in Trolley shooting|publisher=Deseret Morning News|date=2007-02-17|accessdate=2007-02-18] Hammond was at Trolley Square with his pregnant wife, 911 dispatcher Sarita Hammond. Sarita borrowed a waiter's cell phone to call 911. [ [http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660195487,00.html Deseret Morning News | Off-duty officer shrugs off 'heroic' label ] ] Talović was cornered and was shooting at officers, until an active shooter contact team composed of Salt Lake City PD SWAT team members arrived and shot him. Salt Lake City police officials on February 13, 2007, thanked Hammond as a hero for saving countless lives.

According to local TV station KTVX (Utah's only ABC affiliate), several witnesses reported that a majority of the shooting took place on the ground floor near the Pottery Barn store, though the majority of the dead were found in Cabin Fever, a card store. One of the victims, having been shot, apparently entered the nearby Hard Rock Cafe and told customers to lock the doors. Several victims were transported to local hospitals, some in critical condition.cite web|url=http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=888784|title=Gunman Opens Fire at Trolley Square|publisher=KSL-TV|date=2007-02-12|accessdate=2007-02-12]

One of the victims was a 16-year-old boy, A.J. Walker, found in his car with a wound to the side of his head; another, Cedric Wilson, an employee at Rodizio Grill, was fired at twice but suffered only a graze on his head. [cite news
author=
title=Their stories: Bystanders shocked by killings
publisher=The Salt Lake Tribune
date=2007-02-14
url=http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5216390
accessdate=2007-07-01]

Deceased

cite web|url=http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5216389|title=Trolley Square killer, 18, had two weapons, police say|publisher=Salt Lake Tribune|date=2007-02-13|accessdate=2007-02-13]
*Teresa Ellis, 29
*Brad Frantz, 24
*Kirsten Hinckley, 15
*Vanessa Quinn, 29
*Jeffrey Walker, 53

Injured

cite web|url=http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5218750|title=Police ID victims, killer in shooting|publisher=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=2007-02-13|accessdate=2007-02-13]
*Carolyn Tuft, 43 (mother of Kirsten Hinckley)
*Shawn Munns, 34
*Stacy Hanson, 53
*Alan "A.J." Walker, 16 (son of Jeffrey Walker)

The shooter

The perpetrator in the shootings was Sulejman Talović, 18 (October 6, 1988 - February 12, 2007), who was born in Cerska, a town in the Vlasenica municipality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and later migrated with his family to the United States in 1998.cite web|url=http://www.avaz.ba/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=459&z=12&isasp=|title=Sulejman Talović ubio pet, a teško ranio četiri osobe|publisher=Dnevni Avaz|date=2007-02-15|accessdate=2007-02-15bs icon] Talović was a permanent resident who received a green card in 2005cite web|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660195184,00.html|title=More details emerging on Trolley Square gunman and victims|publisher=Deseret Morning News|date=2007-02-13|accessdate=2007-02-13] and lived with his mother in Salt Lake City at the time of the shooting.cite web|url=http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5218570|title=Killer identified as 18-year-old Sulejmen Talovic|publisher=Salt Lake Tribune|date=2007-02-13|accessdate=2007-02-13] He had a record of minor juvenile incidents and had dropped out of high school at age 16.cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/13/national/main2466711.shtml|title=Police: Off-Duty Cop Saved Lives In Mall|publisher=CBS News|date=2007-02-13|accessdate=2007-02-13] .

After the shooting, Talović was buried in his birthplace, a small village of Talovići near Cerska, Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 2, 2007.

Motive

Talović's aunt, Ajka Omerović, emerged briefly from the family's house to say relatives had no idea why the young man attacked so many strangers. She said that Talović had lived in the Sarajevo area as a child, and that his family moved to Utah from Bosnia. "He was such a good boy. I don't know what happened," she told Salt Lake City television station KSL-TV. [ [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070214/ap_on_re_us/utah_shooting;_ylt=ArEZTRKdxu2AU.NfmvrEx2us0NUE "Off-Duty cop helped end Utah mall rage"] , Associated Press, Feb. 13, 2007]

In another KSL interview, with Omerović, and Talović's father, Suljo Talović, the two indicated concern that some outside influence might have induced Sulejman to commit the killings. "I think this [Sulejman] did. I think somebody (is) behind him, I think, but I am not sure...." [ [http://www.ksl.com/?nid=459&sid=900702 "Trolley Square Shooter's Family Speaks to the Media"] , KSL-TV, Feb. 18, 2007]

The father suggested that the US government bears some responsibility for his son's actions, saying "The authorities are guilty for not alerting us that he bought a gun. In the US, you cannot buy cigarettes if you are underaged, but you can buy a gun." However, contrary to Mr. Talović's statement, federal law prohibits the sale of handguns and handgun ammunition to those under 21; shotguns and shotgun ammunition are prohibited to those under 18. [ [http://www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?ID=43 Gun laws in the US] ]

In the light of the War on Terrorism some conservatives, including commentator John Gibson [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,253201,00.html Why No Mention That Salt Lake Shooter Was Muslim?] , Fox News] and congressman Chris Cannoncite news|title= Cannon Takes Back 'Allah' Quote |url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660197676,00.html| last=Speckman | first=Stephen |date=2007-02-22|publisher=Deseret Morning News] suggested that Talović repeatedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" prior to his death, suggesting a religious motive. Some sources reach this conclusion by listening to online video of the rampage, which supposedly captures Talović's religious shouting. [ [http://www.kcpw.org/article/3006 Burbank Says Evidence Does Not Support 'Personal Jihad' in Mall Shooting"] , KCPW, Feb. 22, 2007. For the video, see [http://kutv.com/video/?id=[e-mail] amateur video clip recording of the mall shooting] ] FBI agent Patrick Kiernan has stated that he has no reason to suspect terrorism.cite web|url=http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5230906|title=Trolley Square: A search for answers|publisher=Salt Lake Tribune|date=2007-02-15|accessdate=2007-02-17] . Some family members suggested that emotional trauma Sulejman may have suffered during the Balkan war years of his youth might have contributed to the massacre. Ajka Omerović was quoted as saying, "We are Muslims, but we are not terrorists." [ [http://www.glenwoodindependent.com/article/20070214/FRONTPAGE/70214004 "FBI rules out terrorism in Utah shooting"] , Post Independent, Feb. 14, 2007] .

Officers honored

Five officers were honored at the Utah state capitol on February 16 for their bravery in the Trolley Square shooting.cite web|url=http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_047120741.html|title=Five officers were honored at Utah state capitol|publisher=KUTV|date=2007-02-16|accessdate=2007-02-16]

They are: Sgt. Andrew Oblad, Sgt. Joshua Scharman, Detective Dustin Marshall and Detective Brett Olsen, all of the Salt Lake City Police Department, and Officer Kenneth Hammond of the Ogden Police Department

ee also

*
* Hudson Valley Mall shooting
* Tacoma Mall shooting
* Westroads Mall massacre

References

External links

* [http://kutv.com/stories/local_story_044013725.html Official statement by owners concerning shooting spree]
* [http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_044135155.html Message from the governor of Utah concerning shooting]
* [http://www.570knrs.com/pages/trolleysquare.html Audio of Trolley Square 911 calls and police band radio audio from KNRS Radio]
* [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/13/national/main2466711.shtml CBS News coverage of shooting and message-board]
* [http://www.myfoxutah.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=2362432&version=17&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.1.1 KSTU-Fox coverage of shooting spree]
* [http://www.abc4.com/content/trolley_shooting/default.aspx KTVX-ABC coverage of shooting spree]
* [http://www.ksl.com/?sid=892773&nid=459 KSL-NBC message-boards and coverage of shooting spree]
* [http://www.kutv.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=A371DF3C-CCC4-49E6-A0A2-871A2C97A19A&gsa=true KUTV-CBS coverage of shooting spree]
* [http://kutv.com/video/?id=[e-mail] Video by bystander in shooting of police inside Trolley Square]
* [http://www.boblonsberry.com/writings.cfm?story=2088&go=4 Was banning weapons at Trolley wise?]
* [http://johnrlott.tripod.com/uploaded_images/HPIM0240-724381.jpgPicture of Trolley Square rules, including prohibition on weapons]