On Nov. 19, two people were shot at the Axis Luxury Student Living apartments. An 18-year-old has come forward with connections to the incident; the man turned himself in on Wednesday, Nov. 30. According to an Orem City Police Department’s Facebook post from the day of the incident, officers responded to a report at the off-campus housing Axis Luxury Student Living located at 1435 W 800 S around 1:15 a.m. when two individuals had been shot. According to the post, both victims received medical attention and are expected to make a full recovery after the shooting.
According to a recent article by KSL News, the police suspect the 18-year-old of attempted murder and obstruction of justice. The article released the suspect’s name as Jozef Richard VanderMeide; this was said to be released in a probable cause statement from the Orem City Police. The suspect turned himself in with the help of his attorney.
“I remember seeing the guy shot … then run out of the building. A bunch of people took their shirts off to stop the bleeding. And then a whole bunch of cops came,” said Dejon Brooks, former UVU student and Axis resident who witnessed the aftermath of the incident. A party had been underway the day of Nov. 19, the shooting occurring after an argument between several partygoers. According to KSL TV, the party occurred in the upper levels of the apartment that night, and the group later moved to the third floor of the apartment where the shooting occurred.
In the released probable cause statement, VanderMeide was found with the help of witness statements and the apartment building security cameras. He was seen “pushing past a large group of people on the sixth floor before entering the stairwell. As he enters the stairwell it appears he begins yelling with a male in [a] green shirt.” This was stated in the affidavit, and VanderMeide was seen inside and running out of the building with two other individuals. VanderMeide allegedly buried the gun used in the shooting; the gun was later found 100 yards away from the Utah Transit Authority Center.
He is currently being held without bail due to a 10-gap between the shooting incident and his surrender, burying the gun, and not checking on the status of the two victims.
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