2 deputies shot outside Salt Lake City jail; suspected gunman killed

SALT LAKE CITY — Two deputies were shot in the face outside a Salt Lake City jail on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

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Updated 2:15 p.m. EDT April 11: The two deputies shot in the face were identified as Joshua Buerke Lelane Grossett.

The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office said that Buerke was shot in the cheek and released from the hospital on Saturday, KSTU reported. Grossett was shot in the eye and underwent surgery on Saturday. He lost his eye and is in stable condition.

The suspect was identified as 31-year-old Joshua Michael Johnson. The reason for the shooting is still unclear.

Original report: One deputy is in critical but stable condition after being shot in the eye and the other is in stable condition after suffering a facial wound, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. The suspected gunman was killed, according to KSTU.

The shooting occurred outside the Salt Lake County Metro Jail, the television station reported. The shooter’s identity has not been released.

The deputies were patrolling the campus of the jail when they encountered the gunman in a grassy area near the sheriff’s office parking lot, KUTV reported.

Police said they do not know what led to shots being fired or a possible motive for the suspect, the television station reported.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said the two officers were part of the campus security team, but did not release any other information, KSTU reported.

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