One teenage boy dead, another arrested after accidental shooting in West Jordan

West Jordan, Utah — A deadly shooting occurred over the weekend involving two West Jordan teenagers.

According to police, a 15-year-old and 13-year-old met in a church parking lot in the middle of the night to look at a gun, when the 15-year-old accidentally shot the other boy.

“It is not our belief that he intended to kill his friend,” said West Jordan Lieutenant Richard Bell to the media about the deadly shooting.

The victim is identified as Lance Moorhead. They say his father, Derek Thatcher, gave them this statement:

“My son who just turned 13 in March loved to skate, play football, and video games. He had a contagious smile that could warm anyone’s heart. You couldn’t help but to smile back. He is loved deeply by his parents, many siblings, grandparents, Aunts, and uncles. He will be missed immensely. Gun safety is of the utmost importance to prevent this kind of tragedy and heartache our family has experienced. We can’t stress enough how important gun safety is.”

Bell also had this message about gun safety. “If you have weapons in the home make sure they’re secured. Make sure they’re locked up. It’s OK to talk to your kids about guns and teach them gun safety.”

The 15-year-old was booked into a Juvenile Detention Center on suspicion of manslaughter. Bell said it appeared to be an accident, but evidence showed some sort of “criminal culpability.”