A teenager who sprayed a volley of bullets into a crowd of people outside the Fun Dome — injuring six people, including a 4-year-old boy — will be sentenced for three crimes in December.
David Van, who was 16 at the time of the March 29 incident, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of first-degree felony attempted homicide, which carries a potential sentence of three years to life in prison; and two counts of second-degree felony aggravated assault, which both carry potential prison terms of one to 15 years behind bars.
Those charges, which are part of a plea bargain, are substantially reduced from the long list of offenses originally lodged against Van.
He was charged under Utah's Serious Youth Offender Act, which allows a juvenile defendant to have a preliminary hearing in juvenile court. If the judge finds enough reason to bind the individual over for trial, the judge can order that the youth be tried as an adult — which is what happened in Van's case.
"I think it's a good outcome," said prosecutor Vincent Meister. "We basically have everything we need as far as the charges to exact the amount of punishment that is necessary."
Meister said because of Van's age, it is likely that a 60-day diagnostic evaluation will be made to determine where Van should serve his time. However, Van will be treated as an adult when he appears before 3rd District Judge Dennis Fuchs on Dec. 15 for sentencing.
A fight apparently broke out between Van and fellow members of a Laotian gang and some young Hispanic men inside the Fun Dome, 4998 S. Galleria Drive in Murray. The fight continued outside, where witnesses said Van pulled a gun and fired approximately 17 shots into a crowd of people near the facility's entrance, according to Meister.
Early indications were that it was a battle between two gangs, but Meister said there was not enough evidence to conclude the Hispanic youths were part of a gang.
The crowd included some of the young men Van had been fighting with, along with many innocent bystanders who were either struck by bullets or flying debris, Meister said.
No one was killed, but a 4-year-old boy was hit in the groin by a bullet and a young woman was shot in the foot. One young man received a gunshot wound to the hand and another suffered a bullet graze to his arm. One man was cut on the head while another man was hit in the head by shards of shattered glass.
The woman who drove the getaway car with Van inside, 19-year-old Bisa Edda Bouaphaphanh, was scheduled to be sentenced Monday but her attorney could not make it to court. Her new court date is Nov. 10 before 3rd District Judge Denise Lindberg.
E-MAIL: lindat@desnews.com