An altercation at a funeral held at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints led to a fatal shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Two individuals died, and six others sustained injuries in the incident.
The deceased were identified as 38-year-old Sione Vatuvei and 46-year-old Vaea Tulikihihifo. The tragedy occurred in the parking lot of the Rose Park 5th Ward meetinghouse, located at 660 N. Redwood Road. No minors were involved in the shooting.
Among the six injured, three were critically wounded, while the others were transported to hospitals in private vehicles. The condition of these individuals was initially uncertain.
The shooting began when a dispute broke out in the parking lot during the funeral, attended by approximately 200 people. Authorities were alerted to the incident around 7:30 p.m. The dispute involved people known to each other, not outsiders, according to the police.
Police Chief Brian Redd stated that the shooting was not a targeted religious attack or a random act of violence. The department’s gang unit was brought in to investigate due to signs of possible gang involvement among those present at the scene.
Some victims were uncooperative during the investigation, hindering efforts to recreate the sequence of events. Detectives continued their work to interview hospitalized victims and identify all parties involved in the incident.
The Rose Park 5th Ward meetinghouse, serving as a gathering place for the Riverside 2nd Ward, is located in a neighborhood known for sporadic crime. Church records indicate that both congregations predominantly consist of individuals from the island of Tonga in the South Pacific.
Erin Mendenhall, the Mayor of Salt Lake City, expressed her deep concern over the violence that occurred at a place of worship during a news conference on Jan. 7 night.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement late Jan. 7 recognizing the grave incident. Church spokesman Sam Penrod confirmed the ongoing funeral service inside the chapel when the shooting took place outside. The church is cooperating with law enforcement and expressed appreciation for the first responders.
On the morning of Jan. 8, Police Chief Redd provided an update on the investigation, confirming the identities of the two deceased victims. He assured that there was no threat to the general public.
The incident has significantly impacted Salt Lake City’s Pacific Islander community, which has strong ties to the congregations worshipping at the Rose Park meetinghouse.
In the search for the suspects, Ryan Daniel Toutai, 32, was arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2026, on an obstruction of justice charge. Police identified Toutai as having reported affiliations with the Tongan Crip Gang.
Authorities were trying to determine whether the suspects were funeral attendees or if they had intentionally arrived at the meetinghouse parking lot to confront individuals.
According to charging documents, Toutai was allegedly wearing gang colors at the funeral. Despite witness testimony and video evidence linking him to the scene, Toutai repeatedly denied any involvement in the altercation or knowledge of the shooting. Police discovered video on Toutai’s phone showing him handling a firearm that matched one recovered at the scene, and witnesses placed him in the parking lot during the shooting. When arrested, investigators found a loaded handgun underneath the seat of his vehicle.
Toutai made his first court appearance on Friday, Jan. 17, 2026. Prosecutors requested he be held without bail due to his gang affiliations.
A second arrest was made on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2026, when Ezekiel Isaiah Tai, 22, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on a second-degree felony count of obstruction of justice. According to police, a black GMC Yukon XL was seen leaving the church parking lot after the shooting and later dropping off two injured victims at University Medical Center. Detectives located the vehicle at a residence in West Jordan, where they found Tai cleaning the interior with chemical cleaners. The license plates had been removed, and the OnStar GPS locator had been torn out. Tai closely matched witness descriptions of the driver who transported the injured victims to the hospital. Police say Tai has ties to a gang but does not currently live in Utah. When detained for questioning, Tai refused to speak with detectives about the shooting.
As of late Jan. 2026, two men had been arrested on obstruction of justice charges in connection with the investigation, but no murder charges had been filed. Police stated the investigation has been hindered by a lack of cooperation from multiple individuals, and the homicide investigation remained active.