Buk M. Buk sentenced for 2021 murder of Utah football player Aaron Lowe
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Buk M. Buk, who pled guilty to the 2021 shooting murder of University of Utah Football player Aaron Lowe, has been sentenced in 3rd District Court.
He pled guilty for the crime in March, along with an attempted murder charge for shooting a second victim who survived after undergoing surgery for multiple injuries.
A judge ruled on Monday that Buk will serve his two charges consecutively — 15 years to life in prison for murder, and three years to life for attempted murder.
“I’m sorry to the Aaron Lowe family. I’m sorry to my family. I was lost, and I didn’t know any better. I was 19 years old," Buk said in court. "I pray and hope that one day you find in your heart to forgive me. I can’t imagine the pain and suffering you guys are going through.”
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Lowe's parents were also in attendance on Monday. His father, Darwin Lowe, shared his victim impact statement first:
“The night we got the news of Aaron‘s life being taken, even though we didn’t know you, we forgave you. We knew grieving would be enough. We hope you acknowledge your wrongdoings.”
During his mother's statement, she said:
“I hope I can get to that forgiveness, but I don’t have it yet.”
The shooting took place at a house party in Salt Lake City in the early morning hours of Sept. 26, 2021.
Buk allegedly continued to shoot the suspects even after they lay injured on the ground, as he "was trying to ‘finish them off.'"
He was arrested in Draper one week later, on Oct. 3, 2021. Since then, his court process has played out slowly and with interruption, due in part to residual issues and also in part to the investigation and court proceedings involved in a homicide case.
Court documents revealed that prior to the shooting, Buk had spent the last few years in and out of Salt Lake County Jail.
Officials said the shooting was not a targeted one. Lowe, who was 21 at the time of his death, had been in his third season playing with Utah. He was from Mesquite, Texas.
Lowe was also the first recipient of the Ty Jordan Memorial Scholarship, which honored the memory of another University of Utah football player who died in an accidental shooting in December of 2020.
Not long after Buk's sentencing started, one of his friend or family members was upset because she wasn't allowed to film in court, even though media was allowed — Judge Paul Parker said he is charging this person with contempt of court for the outburst. He sentenced her to 10 days in jail.
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