On the evening of February 28, 2019, a tragic and fatal encounter unfolded at the Parkway Lofts apartment complex in Orem, Utah. Dominique Barnett, a 26-year-old male, had gone to the apartment of a 19-year-old acquaintance, Elbert John Paule. Reports suggest that Barnett, accompanied by his girlfriend and their infant child, intended to resolve a dispute with Paule, which some sources indicate was related to a drug deal.
The situation escalated with shocking speed, leaving Barnett with a fatal gunshot wound.
According to witness accounts from within the apartment, when Barnett knocked on the door, Paule looked through the peephole before grabbing a 12-gauge shotgun. Without any warning, he opened the door and fired a single shot, striking Barnett in the torso at point-blank range. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Paule was seen throwing the shotgun off the apartment balcony before fleeing the scene. The violent act spurred a temporary shelter-in-place alert at the nearby Utah Valley University campus, as a search for the armed suspect began. First responders rushed Barnett to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead about an hour after the shooting.
The Orem Police Department quickly identified Elbert Paule as the sole suspect in the killing. For two days, he remained at large, with law enforcement seeking the public's help in locating him. The search came to an end on March 2, 2019, when Paule turned himself in to authorities. He was subsequently charged with murder, obstructing justice, and other lesser charges. The case proceeded through the legal system, culminating in a jury trial.
During the trial, Paule claimed that he acted in self-defense, a claim that ultimately led to a surprising verdict. In March 2020, a jury acquitted Paule of the murder charge. He was, however, found guilty of obstructing justice for his actions following the shooting. Despite the acquittal on the most serious charge, the tragic event irrevocably ended the life of Dominique Barnett and left a lasting impact on all those involved.
