SALT LAKE CITY, UT — A man is facing a first-degree murder charge after fatally shooting a suspected bicycle thief early Tuesday morning near East High School, according to the Salt Lake City Police Department.
The shooting occurred around 5 a.m. near 1300 East and 800 South. Police said 23-year-old Shane Hagaman called 911 to report that his bicycle had been stolen and that he shot the suspect as the man was riding away.
According to a report by Fox 13 News, Hagaman told dispatchers that the suspect fled the scene by getting into the passenger seat of a Toyota Tacoma. Officers later found a broken bike lock on a handrail outside Hagaman’s second-story residence.
Hospital staff later notified police that a gunshot victim had been dropped off at their facility in a Toyota Tacoma. The victim, identified as 42-year-old Tyson Scott Babb, had been shot once in the upper back and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Hagaman was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of murder. He is being held without bail while detectives continue to investigate the incident.
While the desire to recover stolen property is understandable, the law is clear: deadly force may only be used when there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm. Shooting someone in the back as they flee, especially over property, rarely meets that legal threshold and often results in serious criminal charges, as this case illustrates.