DRAPER, Utah (ABC4) – Police have arrested a suspect in connection to the murder of U of U football player Aaron Lowe.
Salt Lake City Police have identified the suspect as 22-year-old Buk M. Buk. Authorities were able to track the suspect down in Draper early Sunday morning.
The suspect is accused of shooting and killing Lowe and as well as shooting and seriously wounding an unidentified 20-year-old female at a house party. The unidentified female currently remains in critical condition.
New eyewitness accounts report the suspect was an uninvited guest at a house party “causing problems.” Buk was seen saying something in a low voice to another guest before retrieving a pistol from the person’s shoulder bag.
Police say Buk took the pistol, walked out of the home and crossed the street, where he fired two to three shots at Lowe and an unidentified female. Both victims fell to the ground immediately. Police say Buk shot at them five to six more times while they were on the ground.
Lowe died on the scene and the unidentified female has been transported to the hospital for surgery where she still remains in critical condition. The suspect was arrested while currently on probation for a previous felony charge.
Police have been asking for the public’s help on the fatal shooting of U of U football player Aaron Lowe since his death on September 26. SLCPD officials executed search warrants in Layton and Draper and conducted over two dozen interviews since.
During a press conference on Sunday morning, Mayor Erin Mendenhall thanked officers for their diligence and dedication to arresting the suspect.
“To the family of Aaron Lowe, my heart grieves for you as the mayor of Salt Lake City and as a mother,” Mendenhall said. “No parent should have to bury their child.”
SLCPD spokesperson Brent Weisberg did not open the floor for questions during the conference saying, “We will not be taking any questions and there will be no interviews afterwards because this remains an ongoing investigation with active follow-up being conducted by our homicide detectives.”
An outpouring of support has followed Lowe’s death including memorials at the University of Utah and in communities around Salt Lake City.
Lowe was in his third season of playing with the University of Utah’s football team. Notably, Lowe was the first recipient of the Ty Jordan Memorial Scholarship, an award created to honor former Utes player Ty Jordan, who lost his life after an accidental shooting in December 2020.
SLCPD Chief Mike Brown released a statement regarding the arrest:
“In a time of need, we turned to our community,” said Mike Brown, SLCPD Chief. “We asked people to come forward and to share the information they had. Because of those tips and the unrelenting pursuit of justice from our homicide detectives, we have arrested the person accused of murdering Aaron Lowe. So many lives have been impacted from the senseless shooting. I want to thank the work of our patrol officers, detectives, crime lab technicians, our data analysts and the professional staff of the Salt Lake City Police Department. Their dedicated work of combing through every lead and every piece of evidence is what led us to this arrest.”
“Detectives continue to work every aspect of the case and will not stop until it is resolved in court,” authorities say.
Buk has been arrested on three charges including murder, aggravated murder, and felony discharge of a firearm. The suspect is currently booked at the Salt Lake County Jail.
SLCPD says the investigation is still ongoing at this time and is asking anyone with information to call (801) 799-3000 and reference case number 21-176828.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s statement on the arrest:
The University of Utah Director of Athletics, Mark Harlan, released a statement saying:
The University of Utah President released a statement on Sunday regarding the arrest saying:
“The murder of young Black men has become all too common in our society. At a gathering last week on campus, I was asked what I was doing as president to better support our Black community and what the university could do to address this violence. I believe the university has an important role to play and we must use our voices, talents, and resources to drive change. I will work with my cabinet, academic and student leaders, in partnership with the U’s Black Advisory Council and community leaders, to further this work. The loss of another U student—someone with such promise and life ahead of him—leaves us anguished and shaken. But we are steadfast too. I know the University of Utah community will come together around Aaron’s family, his friends, his teachers and his teammates as we begin the long process of healing.“
ABC4 will update this story as more information becomes available.
