West Jordan, UT: Man kills girlfriend before turning gun on himself

By Lindsay Whitehurst
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 11/21/2009 10:42:30 AM MST

A man killed his girlfriend and then himself in West Jordan early Saturday morning, police said.
The man talked with police negotiators for about four hours after he shot his girlfriend to death, but then turned the gun on himself on the 6800 block of Triumph Lane (1000 West), said West Jordan police Sgt. Drew Sanders.
The man called and confessed to a friend about 2:50 a.m. after shooting the woman, Sanders said. The friend called 911 and officers started talking with the shooter, who was suicidal, on the phone. He had barricaded himself inside his girlfriend's home, Sanders said.
He talked to officers until about 7 a.m., Sanders said.
"Without really telling us for sure, he opted to take his life," Sanders said. "Officers did hear a gunshot."
The couple has a history of domestic violence, Sanders said. Police believe alcohol was a factor. Officers are still confirming the identity of both the man and the woman and have not released their names or ages.