An incident at a McDonald’s resulted in one person being injured, leading to the capture of the alleged perpetrator. Authorities are still searching for the suspect involved in the shooting.
The unsettling ordeal unfolded when three friends visited a McDonald’s and one of them was shot while they were in a car in the fast-food franchise’s parking lot on Commerce Drive in Murray, Utah.
The primary suspect has been apprehended, according to authorities. Despite the disturbing news of the shooting, community members were reassured by Murray Police spokesperson Kristin Reardon, who issued a statement to calm fears.
During a press conference with local media, Reardon explained that three teenagers were in the car when the gun, which was inside the vehicle, accidentally discharged, injuring one of the teenagers. The wounded individual, whose age and name were not disclosed, survived and is in critical condition at a local healthcare facility, as reported by their family to the police.
The suspect, identified by the Murray Police Department as Jhon Álvaro Alarcón Paredes, 20, took advantage of the confusion at the scene to flee the state.
Following the incident, authorities issued an alert seeking support from neighboring counties and states. Preliminary investigations suggested that the suspect was traveling east towards Mesa County. Law enforcement officers from Colorado State Patrol monitored the interstate but were initially unsuccessful in locating the suspect due to misinformation leading them in the wrong direction.
The search for the suspect began on Saturday, March 3, when the shooting occurred, and continued until his capture on Monday, March 4, by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado.
The arrest took place miles away from the shooting site. Colorado State Patrol officers first located the suspect’s vehicle at an Exxon gas station on Raptor Road in Fruita. Upon making contact with individuals associated with the vehicle, an officer noticed a man standing nearby observing the encounter, whom they quickly identified as the wanted fugitive.
The suspect was promptly apprehended and transported to the Mesa County Detention Center, where he awaits extradition by Utah authorities. Alarcón will face charges of attempted murder and potentially other offenses yet to be disclosed.
