Teen survivor of fatal shooting near Hunter High leaves the hospital
Feb 9, 2022, 10:00 AM | Updated: 11:42 am
Friends and family sleep in the parking lot of Intermountain Medical Center where shooting victim and Hunter High School student Ephraim Asiata recovers in Murray on Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022. Photo credit: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — The teenager shot near Hunter High School in January has been released from the hospital.
Ephraim Asiata was one of three teenagers shot in West Valley City earlier this year. The 15-year-old was critically injured and remained in the hospital for nearly a month after the shooting.
Feel So GOOD TO BE HOME!!! God got me so I ain’t worried…LESSS RIDE Mom & Dad 😤
— Ephraim Asiata (@AsiataEphraim44) February 9, 2022
Related: Police believe they’ve found murder weapon and pinpoint suspect in double homicide near Hunter High
Asiata’s uncle, Muka Atiga, said he was originally given a 1% chance of survival.
“Literally that’s all he needed. He’s proven that,” Atiga said, as Asiata was moved from intensive care in January.
A post on a family Instagram feed shows the teenager visiting the sidewalk memorial honoring his friends, the two teenagers that died in the shooting.
View this post on Instagram
Related: Hunter High students grieve the loss of their peers
Asiaga’s friends and fellow Hunter High students, Paul Tahi, age 15, and Tivani Lopati, age 14 died in the January 13th shooting. Police documents show they were among a group of people involved in a verbal confrontation outside of the school.
The verbal confrontation escalated into a physical confrontation before the deadly shootings.
A 14-year-old suspect is under arrest in juvenile detention for the shootings. However, on January 19 prosecutors said they intend to try the case in adult court.
Simone Seikaly contributed.
