Sept. 24, 2002--
Crime Specialist Karen Scullin reports.
The two Asian gangs involved in the shootout have an
ongoing rivalry dating back to the mid-90's, and as
another one of their crime waves hits, police fear an
innocent bystander will be killed because it's
happened before, at an intersection.
A long-standing rivalry between two Asian gangs is
heating up again after a gun battle Monday night that
ended with a rollover accident. Police say dozens of
shots were fired between two cars before one of them
crashed. Police don't know what sparked this latest
crime wave.
Asst. Chief Craig Gibson: IT'S JUST
A DOMINO EFFECT, ONE RETALIATION
STARTS ANOTHER RETALIATION.
In the last two months, Gibson estimates there have
been five to ten incidents between the two gangs.
They include firebombings, where molotov cocktails
were thrown into homes, drive-by shootings, with the
homes of gang members targeted, and running gun
battles between moving vehicles. No one has been
hurt, but police are very worried the good luck will
soon run out.
Asst. Chief Craig Gibson: A FEW OF
THE SHOOTINGS WE'VE HAD, I HAVEN'T
SEEN A LOT OF REMORSE. THEY SEEM TO
BE VERY CALCULATING. AND ALMOST TO
THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE RUTHLESS.
Karen Scullin/Eyewitness News:
POLICE SAY UTAH GANGS AREN'T
DIVIDED BY TURF, AND THAT GANG
CRIMES CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE.
Police believe the same two gangs involved in
Monday night's shooting are to blame for the death of
Bethany Hyde. She was killed at an intersection in
November of 1998. Police say Steven Keomonivang
thought he was shooting at a rival gang member when
he pulled the trigger.
Asst. Chief Craig Gibson THESE
PARTICULAR GANGS SEEM TO NOT VALUE
LIFE VERY MUCH. THAT'S SCAREY
BECAUSE THEY TEND TO BE RECKLESS.
No arrests were made in Monday night's shooting.
Police say the two who rolled the car wouldn't
cooperate. That's typically the case with these two
groups, but police are working on making some
arrests. Obviously the fear here is that someone will
eventually be hurt, someone totally innocent, like
Bethany Hyde.
