A road rage incident in Salt Lake City has turned into a wider investigation after police discovered that a gun involved in the altercation was stolen — and may be connected to other crimes.

A Confrontation That Escalated Quickly

According to Salt Lake City Police, the case began when a driver reported being threatened by another motorist after a minor traffic encounter. The victim told officers he might have accidentally cut off the other car, prompting the suspect to throw something at his vehicle before pulling up beside it.

“The driver of that vehicle then pointed a small black handgun at the victim and said, ‘Use your turn signal next time,’” states a police booking affidavit.

The shaken driver managed to record the suspect’s license plate number before the vehicle sped off.

The Arrest and Stolen Weapon

Police traced the car to 20-year-old Travis Lorenz, of West Jordan. When officers arrived at his residence, Lorenz admitted he threw a marker at the other driver but denied directly pointing the gun at anyone.

He told investigators that he brandished the weapon “so the other driver could see it” and said the gun was kept unloaded in his car’s center console. Officers later located an unloaded firearm there — and quickly discovered that it had been reported stolen in Utah County.

Lorenz reportedly told detectives that he had purchased the gun from “a drug dealer who sells a lot of illegal stuff.” According to the affidavit, Lorenz also remarked, “There could be bodies on that gun, and then that falls back on me.”

Expanding the Investigation

The unsettling statement prompted police to widen their investigation. Detectives are now working to determine whether the weapon was used in any other crimes.

As of Wednesday, the Salt Lake City Police Department confirmed that the gun is undergoing ballistic testing and background tracing as part of a larger case review.

Lorenz was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated assault, theft of a firearm, threatening to use a weapon in a fight, and carrying a concealed firearm while under 21 — all of which include road rage penalty enhancements under Utah law.

Broader Implications

Authorities say the case highlights an ongoing concern about illegally obtained firearms surfacing in otherwise unrelated incidents. “Every time a stolen gun turns up, it opens a door to potential violent crime connections,” one investigator said.

Police continue urging Utahns to report lost or stolen firearms immediately to help prevent their circulation in criminal networks.