A Utah man who shot his son defended himself
Investigators now assume that the son did not die of a gunshot wound.
(Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office) Police are investigating after a man reportedly stabbed his father and the father shot and killed his son on August 7, 2023.
A 53-year-old man who shot his 25-year-old son on August 7 acted in self-defense after his son repeatedly stabbed him, authorities said this week.
According to a statement from the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, preliminary investigations indicate that Eric Daugaard was stabbed “multiple times” by his son Warick. “Eric got a gun to defend himself and shot and injured Warick.”
Eric Daugaard was flown to a hospital in Provo by medical helicopter and is currently recovering from his wounds. Warick Daugaard died at the scene of the accident, Swiss Mountain Estates, a smelter area west of Midway.
Police initially suspected that the son died from a gunshot wound, but the state coroner has not yet officially determined the cause of death. According to police, initial investigations indicate he died from a self-inflicted knife wound.
According to a GoFundMe campaign organized by the man’s aunt, Audreay Powers, Warrick Daugaard was diagnosed with schizophrenia and “was overcome by his mental illness” after stabbing his father multiple times in the neck. “Eric tried to defend himself without using deadly force,” she wrote, “but in the end he had to do it to protect his wife, me and my husband.”
“The loss of a child is beyond the pain a parent can endure,” she continued. “But losing a child in this way is beyond sad.”
As of Thursday morning, more than $15,000 had been donated to help cover funeral expenses. A service is planned for Saturday, the website says.
