The 15-year-old boy, whom the Deseret News has chosen not to name at this time, was arraigned Thursday in Ogden's 2nd District Juvenile Court. He's facing charges of aggravated murder and aggravated robbery, both first-degree felonies, in the Feb. 28 death of
Satnam Singh, 65.
The boy is accused of walking into the Super Grocery convenience store, 675 N. Monroe Blvd., and firing four times, hitting Singh twice just before midnight on Feb. 28.
Surveillance video shows the suspected gunman wearing a blue surgical mask, black gloves and a gray Oakland Raiders hoodie.
The boy picked up a drink and a candy bar before going to the counter, according to charging documents filed in 2nd District Juvenile Court.
"At the counter, the male pulled a gun, pointed it at the clerk ... told him, 'This is a stick up' and then pulled the trigger four times, striking (Singh) twice, killing him," the charges state.
The boy then ran out of the store.
When questioned by police, the boy stated that he entered the store with the intention of robbing it, "and had fired his gun when (Singh) moved away from the counter," according to the charges. "He admitted to planning the robbery because he did not have as much cash as he wanted. He acknowledged that he had smoked THC prior to the day of this event but that he stopped smoking so he could be sober for the robbery."
Weber County Attorney Chris Allred told the Deseret News this week that evidence collected so far doesn't point to a hate crime.
While a conviction of aggravated murder carries a possible death sentence for adults, Utah prohibits capital punishment or a sentence of life without parole for those convicted of carrying out the crime while a minor.
