Garden City Shooting Leaves One Dead, Two Hospitalized

Photo by Bobbie Bicknell Coray

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah. September 24, 2017.   Long time Garden City resident Rick Bywater shot Sweetwater Trailer Park HOA President, Kay Carnahan and her husband Mike, shooting him in the stomach and her in the shoulder, then allegedly turned the gun on himself.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.  Sheriff’s deputies were called by residents around 12:30 p.m. notifying them of a suicidal man shooting car and trailer windows so they had arrived on the scene very quickly. 

Two ambulances were dispatched to take the Carnahans to the Logan Regional Hospital.  Family members told friends that they had both had surgery but both were expected to survive after a long period of recovery.  A Facebook page is being set up to track their recovery.

Bywater had posted a series of very angry posts on Facebook, the day of the shooting, excoriating several people in Garden City including Kay Carnahan. 

Photo by Bobbie Bicknell Coray

Pictures show Bywater’s SUV crashed into two ATV and the front of the Carnahan’s trailer.  Many people in Garden City knew Bywater and were supportive him with his problems.  And all of Garden City prays for the recovery of their friends, the Carnahans.

Sheriff Dale Stacy has asked the State of Utah to send a crime scene team to assist the Rich County’s Sheriff’s office with this investigation.

Jill Parker, Victim Services, Bear River Health Department, released a statement from the family of the victims in the Garden City Shooting .  Parker said she was sending it on behalf of the Cache County Attorney's Office Victim Services and said the family will not be providing any additional information at this time. Please feel free to call Parker's cell phone 435-994-1022 with any questions.

"We would like to thank our friends and community for their outpouring of love and support at this difficult time. The victims are being cared for and currently recovering. We would like to thank law enforcement and the emergency responders who helped our family today. We ask that you please respect our privacy at this time."