Police in Utah are investigating the shooting that killed a 17-year-old girl at a house party over the weekend in what officials described as a “suspicious” death.
The Unified Police Department said the incident happened around 10:20 p.m. on Saturday at a home in Salt Lake County, when someone called 911 saying the teen, Kaylissa O’leary, had shot herself.
But on Sunday, police said they are now considering her death to be “suspicious.”
“There was a party going on. There was a gun at that party. We don’t know exactly what happened from then,” Unified Police Sgt. Melody Gray told Fox 13.
Gray said the partygoers ran off so investigators had yet to speak to all the people who were at the home. Police were not sure how many people were at the party at the time of the incident.
“We are investigating this as a suspicious death because we do not know exactly who had that gun, we don’t know if she had it,” Gray told Fox 13.
Officials are also searching for the car that O’Leary drove to the party. The vehicle is described as a 2010 blue Honda Civic with Utah license plate F944HG.
Gray said they are awaiting an autopsy report in addition to trying to interview others who were at the party.
“What led up to this? Was it indeed an accident? Was it intentional? We don’t know at this point,” she told Fox 13.
O’Leary was a senior at Copper Hills High School. School officials said they would have grief counselors available starting Monday for students.
Anyone with information about the vehicle or the party was asked to contact Unified Police.
