By Travis Uresk
3/1/24
Naples, Ut.- At around noon on February 28th, 2024, Sgt Gray with the Naples Police Department responded to a residence to a call from a male reporting he had been shot by his sister, 28-year-old Mara Ashley Anderson.
Sgt Gray arrived on scene at 12:11 pm to find a female lying on the floor in the open garage with a large amount of blood coming from her lower body as well as a significant wound to her left hand. The female victim stated that Anderson had shot her and then left on foot to the South wearing a pink shirt.
Sgt Gray stated he had dealings with Anderson in the past, so he knew what she looked like.
There were two females across the street watching from a separate residence. Sgt Gray recognized Anderson as she started to walk across the street toward him. Anderson was carrying a black and white bag and had a pink shirt on with a long white sweater that was open in the front.
Sgt Gray told Anderson to stop walking and to put her hands up, but she continued to walk toward the officer. He told her to stop, turn around, and get on the ground, but she still wouldn't listen to the officer's commands. Sgt Gray drew his service weapon, pointing it toward Mara, telling her to stop and get on the ground. Mara continued walking at the officer.
Mara got within 5 feet of Sgt Gray, reached into her bag, and produced a black semi-automatic 9mm pistol.
Sgt Gray reached for and grabbed the gun and started to struggle with Mara. The officer kept pressure on her hand to keep the gun pointed away from both her and the officer as they wrestled to the ground. While wrestling for the pistol, Sgt Gray noticed the gun had an unspent live round that was jammed in the ejection portion of the firearm.
VPD Officer Johnston arrived to assist, and they gained control of the firearm. Mara continued to resist while trying to place Mara in handcuffs. The officers had to physically pry Mara's arm out from underneath her and put them behind her back.
While Mara was being arrested, she made the comment, "I'm not going to prison, just kill me. I'm going to kill myself, and they came at me."
Officer Johnstun, Officer McGaha, and Deputy Jones were attending to the victims when several other law enforcement officers arrived, as well as two Gold Cross Ambulance crews.
Sgt Gray told Mara to get off the ground, but she refused. He then picked her up by her arms and told her to walk toward the patrol vehicle, but she refused. Sgt Scott had to move Mara to the vehicle physically. Mara kicked the rear door, so the officer pushed Anderson up against the bed of the truck. Anderson was then picked up and put in the truck physically.
Anderson started to yell and bang her head against the window. She was then transported to the Uintah County Jail.
Sgt Gray ran and grabbed a tourniquet from his patrol vehicle for Officer Johnstun to apply to the female victim's leg. A spent projectile was found and was collected by Sgt Tribe for evidence. The female victim sustained at least two gunshots, resulting in multiple wounds.
Both were transported to local hospitals, where they were life-flighted to the University of Utah. Both victims were classified as being in critical condition. The victim's 4-year-old son was inside the residence when the shooting occurred.
The female victim was interviewed at the hospital while she was being prepared to be flown to Salt Lake City. The victim couldn't recall how many shots had been fired but thought it could have been five. She stated she was attempting to call 911 when her hand was shot. The female victim stated that Anderson was supposed to go to Salt Lake to pick up her mother from the airport when she became agitated and began to argue with the female victim.
Mara was inside her bedroom with the female victim just outside the door when the male victim came in and started to argue with Mara. Anderson pulled out a pistol and started to shoot, hitting both the male and the female victims.
Detective Collom did a video walk-through of the scene, including the outside, the garage area, and the main floor of the inside of the residence. Detective Collom and Detective Hunting processed the inside of the residence along with Crime Scene Technician Kay. NPD kept evidence logs for both the inside and outside scenes.
Four spent 9mm shell casings were found inside the residence, three of them from the bedroom that Anderson occupied and one in the living room area, just past the end of the hallway. Four live 9mm rounds were also found, two in Anderson's bedroom and two just outside her bedroom in the hallway area.
Chief Simper arrived at the jail to speak with Anderson. Anderson claimed her right to remain silent and asked for an attorney. Chief Simper applied for and was granted a warrant to swab Anderson for DNA as well as for performing gun residue swabs on Anderson's hands. Anderson's clothing was collected as well.
Sgt Gray is charging Mara Anderson with the following:
Two counts of Attempted Aggravated Murder (Utah Code 76-5-202 (2)(A)(ii)), which reads An actor commits aggravated murder if the actor intentionally or knowingly causes the death of another individual under any of the following circumstances: the actor committed homicide incident to one act, scheme, course of conduct or criminal episode during which two or more individuals other than the actor were killed. Both counts are Felony 1 charges.
This is due to the fact the victims are cohabitants, therefore making this a domestic violence crime. This is due to the fact that it is evident that the female victim was shot just outside of Anderson's bedroom. The female victim was bleeding heavily, leaving a large blood trail into the living room area, where it appeared the female victim was most likely crawling due to her leg injuries.
There is another shot fired in the living room area due to the finding of the spent shell casing. It is uncertain who was shot at this time, but the male victim was also shot at some point inside the residence.
Due to the gun jamming with the live round in it, Anderson was unable to continue firing the weapon. Anderson then leaves the residence and walks across the street, where she tells an adult female that Anderson needs to borrow the adult female's car so she can go to Salt Lake.
One count of Assault Against Peace Officer In Uniform (Utah Code 76-5-102.4 (2)(A)), which reads (2) (a) (i) An actor commits assault against a peace officer if: the actor commits an assault or threat of violence against a peace officer, with knowledge that the peace officer is a peace officer; and (ii) at the time of the assault or threat of violence, the peace officer was acting within the scope of authority as a peace officer.
This is a Felony 2 charge due to Anderson using a dangerous weapon.
This is due to the fact that Anderson produced a loaded handgun that had been concealed in her bag as I was giving her commands to turn around and lay on the ground. Anderson threatened me as she produced the handgun, refusing to comply with my requests.
One count of Carrying Concealed Firearm (Utah Code 76-10-504(4)), which reads If the concealed firearm is used in the commission of a violent felony as defined in Section 76-3-203.5, and the person is a party to the offense, the person is guilty of a second-degree felony.
This is due to the fact that Anderson had the loaded firearm concealed in her bag and produced it after she had used it in shooting the male and female victims. One count of Domestic Violence in the Presence of a Child (Utah Code 76-5-114(2)(A)), which reads (2) An actor commits domestic violence in the presence of a child if the actor: (a) commits or attempts to commit a criminal homicide offense against a cohabitant in the presence of a child, a third-degree felony. This is due to the fact that the four-year-old juvenile male was inside the house when the shooting occurred. One count of
Damage/Interrupt a Communication Device (Utah Code 76-6-108(2)(B)), which reads (2) An actor commits damage to or interruption of a communication device if the actor attempts to prohibit or interrupt, or prohibits or interrupts another person's use of a communication device when the other person is attempting to summon emergency aid or has communicated a desire to summon emergency aid, and in the process the actor: (B) destroys, disables, or damages a communication device.
This is with a Domestic Violence attachment and is a Class B Misdemeanor. This is due to the fact that the female victim attempted to use her phone to call 911 and was shot in the hand that was holding the cellular phone. This is due to the fact the victim is a cohabitant of Anderson, therefore making this a domestic violence crime.
One count of Interference with Arresting Officer (Utah Code 76-8-305), which reads (1) A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if the person knows, or by the exercise of reasonable care should have known, that a peace officer is seeking to effect a lawful arrest or detention of that person or another person and interferes with the arrest or detention by (a) use of force or any weapon; (b) (i) (ii) refusing to perform any act required by lawful order: necessary to effect the arrest or detention; and made by a peace officer involved in the arrest or detention, a class B Misdemeanor. This is due to the fact that Anderson refused to comply with my lawful arrest of her as she refused to follow my commands, as well as refused to put her hands behind her back to be cuffed.
