In the early hours of November 1, 2019, a Halloween party in Roosevelt, Utah, turned deadly, leaving two men dead. One of the victims was 23-year-old Tyrell Davon Sowsonicut, a Native American man from Fort Duchesne. The Duchesne County Sheriff's Office received reports of gunfire at a home near 1250 West and 850 North at approximately 12:15 a.m. Upon their arrival, deputies found a grim scene with two deceased individuals.
Sowsonicut was discovered inside the residence, having been fatally shot.
The second man, 22-year-old Jon Reed Jr., also a member of the Ute Indian Tribe, was found outside the home near an entrance with fatal stab wounds. Investigators believe that Reed arrived at the party and, for reasons that remain unclear, shot Sowsonicut. In the chaotic moments that followed, other attendees at the party are believed to have intervened, resulting in Reed being stabbed. Authorities have considered the possibility that the stabbing of Reed was an act of self-defense by the other partygoers.
The investigation into the double homicide was a collaborative effort between the Duchesne County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Police, and the FBI, as both Sowsonicut and Reed were members of the Ute Indian Tribe. At the time of the incident, it was reported that between 15 and 20 people were in attendance at the Halloween party. Law enforcement officials stated that they did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public following the incident. As of the most recent available information, no arrests had been made in connection with the deaths of Tyrell Sowsonicut and Jon Reed Jr.
