Utah shooting suspect intended to harm as many officers as possible

The suspect who killed two police officers and wounded a sheriff’s deputy in Tremonton, Utah, intended to cause greater harm to law enforcement, Mayor Lyle Holmgren told CBS News.

The shooting happened late Sunday when officers responded to multiple 911 hang-up calls from a home in Tremonton, according to police.

A Tremonton-Garland police officer was the first to arrive and was speaking with someone at the house when a man came outside with a gun and opened fire, killing him. A second officer who responded was also shot and killed.

A Box Elder County sheriff’s deputy who arrived at the scene was shot and wounded, along with his K9 police dog, authorities said.

In an interview with CBS News, Holmgren said the gunman “had the intention to cause harm to as many police officers and public servants as possible,” adding that it marked the first double homicide of police officers in Utah in over a century.

The officers who died were identified as Sergeant Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada. Deputy Mike Allred and his K9, Azula, both underwent surgery and returned home the next day, according to Sheriff Kevin Potter.

“Tremonton is mourning the heartbreaking loss of two Tremonton Garland Police officers: Sergeant Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada who were killed in the line of duty on Sunday,” said Holmgren in a briefing on Tuesday. “We also mourn the wounding of Box Elder County Sheriff’s deputy Mike Allred and K9 Azula.”

Garland Mayor Linda Bourne called it “an unspeakable tragedy,” saying the officers “demonstrated the highest level of courage, commitment and selflessness.”

Tremonton-Garland Police Chief Dustin Cordova, visibly shaken during the briefing, described the shooting as “every cop’s worst nightmare,” saying Sorensen and Estrada were heroes whose actions likely saved lives.

The suspect, whose name has not been publicly released, was taken into custody after bystanders persuaded him to put down his weapon. He was booked into the Box Elder County Jail on charges of aggravated murder, police said.

Officials have not released additional details, saying the investigation is ongoing.