In the early hours of February 2, 2025, a young Caucasian male's life was tragically cut short in what police describe as a reckless game gone horribly wrong. Dylan Treichel, a 23-year-old from the Salt Lake City area, died from a gunshot wound to the chest in the detached garage of a residence in Kearns, Utah. The incident, which unfolded at approximately 12:26 a.m., led to the arrest of his friend, 23-year-old Ashton Jonathon Mann.
According to police reports, Mann and Treichel had
been smoking marijuana and handling two different handguns earlier in the evening. The situation took a fatal turn when Treichel reportedly claimed that he could "dodge a bullet." Believing the firearms to be unloaded, Mann pointed a handgun at Treichel and pulled the trigger multiple times, with Treichel attempting to jump out of the way each time. This was repeated approximately six times before a final pull of the trigger resulted in a live round striking Treichel in the chest.
Realizing his friend had been shot, Treichel urged Mann to call 911. Mann complied and attempted to render aid until paramedics arrived. Despite these efforts, Treichel was unresponsive when officers reached the scene and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Responding officers discovered drug paraphernalia consistent with marijuana use, as well as ammunition and magazines for the handguns in the garage. Ashton Jonathon Mann was taken into custody and subsequently charged with manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a restricted person. Mann told investigators that he lived at the residence with Treichel, whom he described as his best friend, and that he was in shock after the unintended firing, stating he wasn't even aiming the gun, which he held sideways. He has been booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail and is being held without bond.
