Murder of Utah football player investigated | national

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Investigators have several “promising leads” in the shooting death of Utah sophomore cornerback Aaron Lowe, Salt Lake City Police Chief said Monday as the family and friends mourned the football player killed less than a year after his teammate Ty Jordan died in an accidental shootout.

Lowe was gunned down at a house party early Sunday after others, uninvited guests were asked to leave, police said. A second person, a woman, was seriously injured. The party was staged hours after the Utes beat Washington State 24-13.

No immediate arrests were made during the shooting, but reports gave detectives several potential leads, Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said.

Police had previously received complaints about the noise about the party, but officers did not respond as they were dealing with other emergency calls, police spokesman Brent Weisberg said.

When dispatchers received a call about a gun fight over an hour later, officers immediately proceeded to the house in the Sugar House neighborhood, he said.

As police continue to ask for tips, Lowe’s family and friends mourn his loss. Papa William Smith told WFAA-TV in Dallas that Lowe knew from an early age that he wanted to be a football player.

“There is nothing. And I am not telling you anything, there is nothing on this earth that I cannot find worse than losing a child,” he said.

His biological father Darwin Lowe said he spoke to Aaron ahead of Saturday’s game.

“We were always communicating with each other,” said Darwin Lowe. “My mind just repeats every moment, every conversation we’ve had.”

Aaron Lowe was originally from Mesquite, Texas, where he also played with Jordan in high school. Lowe changed his jersey from No.2 to No.22 to honor his friend after the 19-year-old died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen on Christmas night 2020.

Last month, Lowe was named the first recipient of the Ty Jordan Memorial Scholarship, voted on by the team. Jordan had been named Pac-12 freshman of the year and was leading all freshmen nationally in rushing yards per game before being killed.

Today another family is in mourning. Brother Erin Lowe told KDFW-TV in Dallas that he learned the news hours after watching his brother hat-trick in Saturday night’s game.

“He was so amazing in so many ways,” said Erin Lowe. “Someone so young, doing so well in his life can be taken away by a senseless crime.”

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