SALT LAKE CITY — A Helper man who police say sympathizes with mass shooters was charged Monday with threatening motorists with a shotgun, and shooting at a family in their pickup truck.
Brandon Joseph Hugh Sanchez, 39, is charged in 7th District Court in Price with three counts of attempted murder, a second-degree felony; six counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; plus two counts of reckless driving, discharging a firearm from a vehicle and interfering with an arresting officer, class B misdemeanors.
On Sept. 25, Sanchez was threatening motorists on U.S. 6 with a shotgun by “pointing a shotgun from the window of his moving vehicle. One witness stated he observed the suspect rack the slide of the pump action shotgun,” according to charging documents.
Witnesses told police they first observed Sanchez driving in the median before “turning his vehicle around and (chasing) them down with the gun,” the charges state. Witnesses said the incidents occurred just east of Helper.
Neighbors also called police to report that Sanchez had returned home, but then left again in a side-by-side ATV.
While in the ATV, Sanchez shot at a pickup truck with a man, his wife and their 7-year-old child inside, according to the charges. Sanchez first forced the man off the road by driving his ATV at him, police say.
“The victim/driver was forced to slam on his brakes and swerve to the shoulder of the road to avoid a collision. He stated the driver of the side by side exited his vehicle with a shotgun and fired a shot in his direction. The driver stated he was watching this in his rear view mirror as he was speeding up to escape the man with the gun,” the charges state.
“The shot struck the rear of the pickup truck. The driver stated he heard the impact of the projectiles strike his vehicle. He also stated he observed the suspect chamber another round and fire a second time.”
Police arrested Sanchez after he returned to his house, “still carrying the shotgun,” according to charging documents. Police said they took him into custody “after negotiations,” but not before he fought with officers while they were placing him in handcuffs.
Detectives interviewed Sanchez in jail where he “revealed statements sympathizing with mass shooters. He also told me on scene that (he) is still going to kill someone. During the fingerprinting process, he told the jailer that he was going to kill his attorney,” the charges state.
“Mr. Sanchez poses a considerable risk to the community and himself. He has access to multiple firearms and has demonstrated a wanton disregard for the public with his indiscriminate actions. He continues to make threats to kill people,” police wrote in the charges.