SPRINGVILLE — A man died Monday evening after police say an argument between him, his daughter and his daughter’s friend ended in a gunshot.
Whether the man died from injuries sustained during the argument, or from a self-inflicted gunshot wound was still unclear Monday night.
About 5:15 p.m., Springville police were dispatched to an apartment complex at 602 W. 550 South after multiple reports of a gunshot.
When police arrived, they found two girls, ages 17 and 18, who told police they had been inside the apartment with the father of one of the girls.
“Officers were told the father had a gun and was waving it around during a verbal argument between the father and his daughter,” the Springville Police Department said in a statement Monday.
Police say the man then turned his attention to his daughter’s friend, arguing with her until “the daughter got between the father and her friend and there was a physical altercation between the two.”
At some point during the altercation, the gun went off, hitting the man “in an unknown location of his body,” police say.
The 18-year-old woman sustained a head injury during the altercation, and was transported to a hospital Monday.
Because police say they were unable to contact the man, the Utah County Metro SWAT team was called in to assist, and a robot was sent into the man’s apartment.
“Through the video system on the robot the SWAT team was able to see the man on the floor of the living room,” Springville police said. After securing the apartment, a SWAT medic was able to determine the man was dead. His identity was not released Monday.
“It is unknown at this time of the investigation if the man died of a self-inflicted gunshot or if it was as a result of the gun going off during the altercation,” police said Monday night.