Salt Lake deputies kill man firing shotgun

MILLCREEK — Salt Lake County Sheriff's SWAT team members shot and killed a man who had been firing a shotgun off his balcony in a crowded apartment complex Friday afternoon.

"The man was very specific during a phone negotiation that his intent was to do harm and that this was going to end badly," Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder said at the scene. "He was a dynamic and aggressive individual."

No one else was injured during the 40-minute confrontation in which George D. Huntzinger, 65, repeatedly walked out on his small third-floor balcony and fired shots at opposing apartment windows, cars and "toward officers," according to Salt Lake County Sheriff Lt. Don Hutson.

A maintenance worker for the heavily populated 15-building Cottonwood Apartments, 4705 S. 900 East, called 911 at 3:15 p.m. He said he was working on the first floor when he heard two shots, Hutson said. When he wandered out to see exactly what it was, he saw a man wave a rifle then point it in his direction.

There were several minutes of silence.

Many neighbors who misinterpreted the noise went about their business.

Alex Fullmer, who initially thought the pops were fireworks, left his mother home and ran an errand with his father.

Minutes later, his mother called him in a panic.

"She told me that when she looked out her window, he pointed the gun right at her," he said. "Then the guy started shooting at her."

By that time, two initial responding deputies reported shots fired and called for backup, which wasn't far away. By coincidence, eight law enforcement agencies were conducting a combined training exercise near the area when the call came in. Within 15 minutes almost two-dozen fully equipped SWAT officers swarmed the parking lot and adjacent apartment buildings, supported by a bullet-proof Humvee and two-dozen other emergency vehicles.

Before officers showed up and took over resident Layne Hirst's balcony for a look at the gunman's position, Hirst said he watched the "insane commotion" unfold.

"He (the gunman) just walked out once in a while and shot," Hirst said. "I could only hear muffled yells but he (Huntzinger) just wouldn't listen to them. I don't blame them for doing what they did."