‘He seemed prepared for battle:’ Neighbors terrified after encounter with armed stranger

SALT LAKE CITY – People living in the Federal Heights neighborhood were shaken up after a suspicious encounter with a stranger Friday afternoon.

Neighbors said it happened near Third Avenue and Military Way at approximately 4:45 p.m. They said the man was carrying a handgun and a machete.

Salt Lake City police officers went to the area but couldn’t find the person. They’re now asking for the public’s help identifying him.

Ring doorbell video caught the man on camera.

“It was showing a young man in our alleyway. He was sitting on the steps to her backyard, and he got up, started walking around, pulled a gun, and randomly started pointing it in the air, down the alley, all around him in a way. That was very upsetting and scary,” said an anonymous neighbor.

“Why would he have an edged weapon of that size out in public in this private alleyway?” said another anonymous neighbor. “It’s more of an attack mechanism. I felt that he was practicing.”

People living in Federal Heights are on high alert following an encounter with a stranger over the weekend. They said he was armed with a handgun and a knife, and was acting strangely. People are looking for this person.

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No one was harmed, but Salt Lake City police call it alarming.

“It was erratic and he seemed a bit lost, but he seemed prepared for battle,” said an anonymous neighbor.

The individual eventually collected his things and walked away.

“This is happening more and more in Salt Lake. Every neighborhood has families in it, and it’s just it’s a problem,” said anonymous neighbors.

Neighbors said they are keeping a closer eye on what’s happening outside their doors.

“People need to be more vigilant and report things to the police immediately and also to your fellow neighbors; let them know that you just saw something.”