On a Sunday afternoon, October 18, 2020, in Salt Lake City, Utah, the life of 25-year-old Domnyk Aasis Marez, a Caucasian male, was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire near Tanner Park. The incident unfolded from a dispute over a planned marijuana purchase. Marez, accompanied by a man and a woman, had met with 17-year-old Andrew Whatcott to complete the transaction.
The situation escalated when a disagreement arose over the price of the marijuana.
The female companion of Marez asked Whatcott to exit her vehicle, a silver Subaru. When he refused, Marez intervened and physically removed him from the car. As Marez got into the passenger seat and told the woman to drive away, Whatcott stood on a nearby grassy area and opened fire on the vehicle. Multiple bullets struck the car's windshield and rear passenger door.
Marez was found slumped in the front passenger seat with a fatal gunshot wound to his forehead. His two companions were also seriously injured in the shooting. The female victim was shot in the arm, with the bullet lodging in her chest, while the other male passenger suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his leg and hand, which later required the amputation of a finger. Emergency services arrived to find a chaotic scene and transported all three victims to the hospital, where Domnyk Marez was pronounced dead.
Andrew Whatcott fled the scene, disposing of the handgun he used, which was later found by people walking in the area and turned over to the police. He was located and arrested at an apartment complex shortly after. Whatcott, who had a prior juvenile record including convictions for aggravated assault and forcible sexual abuse, was charged as an adult with murder, multiple counts of discharging a firearm causing serious injury, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, and obstruction of justice. In May 2025, Andrew Whatcott, then 22, accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter, two counts of felony discharge of a firearm, and obstructing justice. In his plea, Whatcott stated he believed he was acting in self-defense during a robbery. The deal resulted in the dismissal of several other charges, including the original murder charge being reduced.
