'You got a gun? Shoot it then': Moment University of Utah football player Aaron Lowe was shot and killed at a house party
This is the moment University of Utah football player Aaron Lowe was shot and killed at a house party in Salt Lake City.
Lowe, a 21-year-old sophomore cornerback, was shot shortly after midnight on September 26, a few hours after his team, the Utes, beat Washington State 24 to 13.
The Snapchat video obtained by WRKG shows Lowe, with a 20-year-old woman and another man when a confrontation breaks out across the street.
You can hear a guest saying: 'You gut a gun? Shoot it then.'
Moments later shots are fired and Lowe and the unidentified woman are struck and immediately fall to the ground.
The suspect then walked up to Lowe and the woman, shooting another five or six bullets at them, police say. The woman survived but remains in a 'critical condition.'
The bystander's footage rapidly becomes indistinguishable as he begins running away after the first shots are fired, but the subsequent gunfire can be heard in the video and police have put together what happened through witness accounts.
Salt Lake City police detained 22-year-old Buk M. Buk on Sunday in connection with the shooting.
The Snapchat video shows Lowe, with a 20-year-old woman and another man when a confrontation breaks out across the street. You can hear a guest saying: 'You gut a gun? Shoot it then.' Moments later shots are fired and Lowe and the unidentified woman are struck and immediately fall to the ground.
Lowe stands with an unidentified woman and a man as a commotion breaks out across the street. Moments later he is shot along with the woman. The woman survived but remains in a 'critical condition.'
Lowe, a 21-year-old sophomore cornerback, was shot shortly after midnight on September 26, a few hours after his team, the Utes, beat Washington State 24 to 13
Salt Lake City police detained 22-year-old Buk M. Buk (pictured) on Sunday in connection with the shooting
He was arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted aggravated murder, and felony discharge of a firearm.
Buk was on probation for a previous felony charge.
Witnesses told cops that Buk was an uninvited guest at the party and was 'causing problems' prior to the shooting.
He was allegedly seen saying something under his breath to another guest before grabbing a handgun from someone's bag and walking across the street to shoot Lowe and the woman.
Police say the shooting was not gang-related or a targeted attack on the university.
Tragically, Lowe was the first recipient of a memorial scholarship created in honor of his friend and former teammate Ty Jordan, 19, a University of Utah star freshman running back who accidentally shot and killed himself on Christmas Day 2020.
Lowe and Jordan were also friends at West Mesquite High School in Texas.
On Sunday, Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown thanked the community for submitting tips, photos and videos that led to Buk's arrest. He said investigators conducted more than two dozen interviews.
The University of Utah held a candlelight vigil for Lowe last Wednesday. A number of his teammates attended.
'The people who were hosting the party wanted it to be a relatively small party. The individuals who showed up were not invited guests. They were asked to leave and that is when this fight occurred,' SLC police spokesman Brent Weisberg told the Salt Lake Tribune last week.
Aaron Lowe (above), 21, was shot at a house party in Salt Lake City last week. Sudanese citizen Buk Mawut Buk has been arrested in connection with his death
Lowe was a 21-year-old sophomore at the University of Utah, where he was a cornerback in the football team. Above, he stands in the field during a game against Arizona in November 2019
Lowe's teammates attended a candlelight vigil for him on campus Wednesday night
Lowe was invited to the party, Weisberg said.
In total, police received six calls related to the gathering between 10.38 pm and 12.02am, including a noise complaint, police said, but they didn't visit the house because of other assigned emergency calls.
Salt Lake City police responded to the scene using a 'tactical approach' at 12.31am after they were called with reports of a fight involving a weapon at 12.19am.
The house where the incident took place is located in the 2200 block of South Broadmoor Street.
The shooting occurred at the 2200 block of South Broadmoor Street in Salt Lake City, where shots broke out after uninvited guests were asked to leave
Lowe was the first recipient of a scholarship in honor of Ty Jordan (above), 19, a former high school teammate of Lowe's who accidentally shot and killed himself on Christmas Day 2020
Both Lowe and Jordan were students and football players at The University of Utah, pictured
'The reasons the officers formed their tactical approach was for the safety of the officers and everyone on scene,' Weisberg said as he explained his department's response.
'They were going into an unknown situation. They knew that there was a fight and a weapon involved. ... They were approaching together.
'They wanted to make sure they had enough resources so they could deal with any potential threat that was on scene and so they could immediately address the victims.'
Tributes flooded in for Lowe after his death.
'We are devastated to hear about the passing of Aaron Lowe,' Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said in a statement.
'Our thoughts and prayers are with Aaron's family and friends, along with the other individual who was harmed in this tragic incident. Aaron was a great teammate, friend, brother and son and was loved by anyone who crossed paths with him. He will be deeply missed.'
Lowe's friends and teammates tweeted in honor of his passing last week
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox also tweeted his condolences to Lowe's family.
'Abby [Cox's wife] and I mourn with our family and friends at the tragic passing of Aaron Lowe this morning. Our prayers are with his family at this terribly difficult time.'
Besides receiving the Ty Jordan Memorial Scholarship, Lowe was a high school teammate of Jordan's in Mesquite, Texas. He switched his jersey from No. 2 to 22 to honor his friend after the 19-year-old died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen on Christmas night 2020.
The Utes credited Lowe for persuading Jordan to play at Utah after decommitting from the school.
Jordan was named the Pac-12 freshman of the year and led all freshmen nationally in rushing yards per game before he died.
Lowe appeared in 16 combined games on special teams his first two seasons and played in all four games this season.
'Ty made everyone around him better,' Lowe said after receiving the scholarship.
'He made me better. My friendship with Ty means a lot because he was always pushing me to be my best. He never let me settle for less. I want to make sure his legacy lives on through me.'
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