On Tuesday, May 30, the Kemmerer High School senior trip in Salt Lake City had an unpleasant surprise when a group of seniors were robbed at gunpoint.

The students were walking back to Pioneer Park, where the school bus was parked. They were near the Gateway Mall when two men, one with a gun and one with a golf club, corraled the group and demanded money.

Only one student from the group was forced to hand over their wallet. Another student offered their money to appease the men, but they said they only wanted a wallet from one student.

The students have commented that they believed they were targeted because they looked like they were friendly and from out of town.

The group was in an area of Salt Lake City that is well-known to have a high concentration of homeless individuals and camps.

Teresa Chaulk, Superintendent of Lincoln County School District No. 1, commented on the incident.

“The district is saddened about the event in Salt Lake City on the senior trip. We have been going to the Gateway Mall for years without incident,” Chaulk said. “The students involved, to my knowledge, were following the rules, staying together and headed back to the bus. We learned the area is not safe after dusk or dark and we will be reviewing our trip timelines to prevent this ever happening again.

“I just cannot believe downtown Salt Lake has this big of a homeless/impoverished problem. These young adults were faced with a horrific incident that many people live an entire life without going through,” Chaulk said. “Thank goodness, the staff and the police were readily available to help the students calm down and come home.”