Investigators said the shooting was not gang related.
Investigators arrested a suspect Sunday morning who they say was involved in the shooting of University of Utah football player Aaron Lowe and an unidentified woman.
Salt Lake City detectives arrested Buk M. Buk and charged him for Lowe’s death during a house party on Sept. 26. Investigators said Buk, 22, who purportedly was an uninvited guest, allegedly took out a pistol and opened fire at Lowe, 21, and the unidentified 20-year-old woman.
Lowe, a native of Mesquite, Texas, died at the scene while the woman was transported to the hospital and underwent surgery, police said. She is listed in critical condition as of Sunday, police said.
Buk has been charged by police with murder, aggravated murder, and felony discharge of a firearm, according to investigators. Attorney information for the suspect wasn’t immediately available.
Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown told reporters Sunday that the investigation is still ongoing but reassured the public that the shooting was not gang-related and the school wasn’t a direct target.
“Those answers will come through the litigation of this case,” he said during a news conference.
Lowe was in his third season of playing with the University of Utah. He was the first recipient of the Ty Jordan Memorial Scholarship, an award created to honor former the University of Utah player Ty Jordan, who lost his life after an accidental shooting in December 2020, ABC affiliate KTVX reported.
The school and student body held memorials last week to honor Lowe.
“We continue to mourn the loss of Aaron, and we miss him dearly. We also remain hopeful for a full recovery for the second victim of the shooting,” Mark Harlan, the University of Utah director of athletics, said in a statement Sunday.
Brown added that he talked with Lowe’s mother about the arrest and reiterated that his team would continue to find answers in this “senseless killing.”
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall also offered her condolences to Lowe’s family.
“My heart grieves for you as the mayor of Salt Lake City and as a mother,” Mendenhall said at a news conference Sunday. “No parent should have to bury their child.”
