In what was initially reported as a self-inflicted tragedy, the death of 29-year-old Dominik Philip, a Black / African American male, has since become the subject of a homicide investigation. On the evening of March 9, 2025, Unified police were called to the Revolve Apartments in Millcreek, a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah, where they discovered Philip deceased from a single gunshot wound.
Paramedics at the scene were the first to raise doubts about the initial report, observing that the
gunshot wound was located on the back of his left shoulder, an angle that would have been highly improbable for a self-inflicted injury. This crucial observation shifted the course of the investigation, prompting detectives to treat the death as suspicious. The chaotic scene at the apartment, with seven individuals present, further complicated the initial stages of the inquiry. Investigators noted that there was a 20-minute delay between the time of the shooting and the 911 call.
As detectives began to interview the witnesses who were in the apartment, they were met with conflicting stories. One witness claimed that Philip and his cousin had been playing with the gun when it discharged, but refused to identify the cousin. Another witness described seeing Philip's eyes widen in shock after the shot was fired, hearing him say her name before he collapsed onto the couch. The scene within the apartment yielded more troubling evidence; a 9mm handgun was found in the bathroom, wet, as if someone had attempted to wash it clean.
The turning point in the investigation came with the discovery of audio from a surveillance camera inside the apartment. The recording captured a voice in the frantic moments after the shooting, stating, "We were playing around, and it went off... he dead bruh." Multiple people who were in the apartment identified the voice as belonging to Deng Auling. Further audio captured Auling saying, "I just killed bruh," and "I'm going to do life, bruh. I already know it... we was just playing around… it went off." These recordings directly contradicted the initial claims of suicide.
Based on the evidence, including the suspicious wound, the inconsistent witness statements, the attempt to clean the firearm, and the damning audio recording, Deng Martin Auling, a 20-year-old from West Valley City, was arrested. He has since been charged with murder, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. During the investigation, Auling was reportedly seen making hand signals to a witness, indicating they should stop talking to the police, and at one point yelled at the witness not to say anything. The autopsy later confirmed that the cause of death was a contact gunshot wound to the back, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. Philip, remembered by his family as a talented and inspirational basketball coach and mentor, leaves behind a community mourning his sudden and violent death.
