In the early morning hours of October 24, 2021, a Halloween party held in a Salt Lake City warehouse took a tragic turn, ending the life of 21-year-old Isaiah Valerio. The Hispanic male was attending the gathering near 500 West and 600 South when an argument broke out among several partygoers. Friends and family described Valerio as a happy person who was always there for others.
According to family members, he was attempting to be a peacemaker and de-escalate a fight that was not his own when he was fatally shot.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to 20-year-old Roy Anthony Duran as the suspect. Witnesses reported that Duran had been involved in altercations with multiple people at the party. It was alleged that Duran, after a verbal dispute, punched Valerio in the head. Following this, others at the party intervened. In the ensuing chaos, Duran reportedly pulled out a firearm and shot Valerio in the head at close range before fleeing the scene. Salt Lake City Police received calls about the shooting at approximately 1:23 a.m. Responding officers and paramedics found Valerio in critical condition and, despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The day after the shooting, on October 25, 2021, Roy Anthony Duran turned himself in to the Clearfield Police Department. He was subsequently transported to Salt Lake City for questioning by homicide detectives. Duran was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on charges of murder, obstruction of justice, and being a restricted person in possession of a firearm. In June 2024, a jury found Duran guilty on all three counts. The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office stated that the tragic shooting stemmed from unprovoked violence initiated by Duran.
