Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
HOBBLE CREEK CANYON, Utah (ABC 4 Utah) - A disturbing domestic violence situation erupts in gunfire, sending a mother, father, and adult son to the hospital.
It happened in a remote subdivision called Holiday Hills, Tuesday morning.
Authorities say a 68 year-old man shot his adult son in self-defense, according to their preliminary investigation.
"We believe the parents are victims of this violence," said Lt. Erik Knutzen of the Utah County Sheriff's Office.
Officials say their first indication something was wrong came in a separate 911 call prior to the emergency.
"We received a call from the mother at about 3 o'clock this morning," Knutzen told Good 4 Utah's Ali Monsen.
Knutzen says at that point, the caller did not report any emergencies but said her son was hallucinating, possibly on drugs, and wanted to turn himself in for misdemeanor charges.
"Because of the severe [snow] storm that came through and the road conditions up that canyon, we couldn't get to them," he explained.
Officials say the next time they heard from the family was several hours later after Jesse Dell Peterson (29) allegedly began using household objects to brutally beat his parents.
"Deputies told me that it was a mess inside the house. It looked like there'd been a big fight going on in the kitchen, the living room area, and into the bedroom. I believe the parents had basically -- last I heard -- they had held up in the bedroom as they called 911 to kind of shield themselves from their son. He did, in fact, come into the room, and we believe at this point, that's where the gunshot took place," Knutzen said.
Deputies say they pulled up to find Peterson standing on the doorstep. They say he had suffered two bullet wounds. At that point, they took him into custody and transported all three family members to the hospital.
Tuesday evening, officials say Jesse Peterson will be booked for aggravated assault among other things.
Officials say his father was treated for injuries and released from the hospital and that his mom will likely need surgery for a fractured skull and internal bleeding.