KEARNS, Utah — One person was killed and two others critically injured after gunfire erupted outside a funeral attended by members of Utah’s Tongan community on Monday morning.
The latest violence follows another deadly shooting involving members of the Tongan community outside a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Salt Lake City in January.
In that incident, Sione Vatuvei, 38, and Vaea Tulikihihifo Jr, 46, were shot dead outside the church on Redwood Road. Six other people were injured.
Monday’s shooting occurred at about 11.25am outside an LDS meetinghouse in Kearns, where mourners had gathered for the funeral of 23-year-old Tongan man ʻOfaʻatangikivaha Angilau.
According to Assistant Chief Justin Hoyal of the Unified Police Department, officers had been informed in advance that trouble could occur at the funeral and were asked to maintain a police presence at the church.
Officers stationed outside the building heard gunshots from its southern side and rushed to the area, where they found a male victim lying on the road.
He was taken in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray but later died from his injuries.
Police then saw a second injured man being carried towards a vehicle and ordered those assisting him to stop. However, they entered the vehicle and drove away, prompting officers to pursue them.
The vehicle was stopped near 4700 South and 4000 West, and the injured man was taken to Intermountain Medical Center in critical condition.
A third injured man was subsequently found at the church and was also transported to hospital.
Police said all three victims were believed to be male. Their names and ages had not been released.
Investigators believed they had located everyone involved in the incident and were interviewing them. Police were also investigating possible gang involvement.
The funeral was being held for Angilau, who was fatally shot at a petrol station in Riverton the previous week after reportedly entering the store carrying a firearm.
However, police had not confirmed whether Monday’s shooting was connected to Angilau’s death or the circumstances surrounding it.
The incident prompted a large multi-agency police response involving officers from Unified Police, West Valley City, West Jordan and Taylorsville, as well as the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Roads surrounding the church were closed while police investigated the scene. Access around Intermountain Medical Center was also restricted as a precaution.
Three nearby schools—Kearns Junior High School, West Kearns Elementary School and Gourley Elementary School—were temporarily placed under secure protocols because of the police activity. The restrictions were lifted shortly after midday.
Utah State Representative Doug Fiefia, a member of the Tongan community, expressed sorrow over the shooting and its impact on Tongan families.
“Our Tongan community is hurting,” Fiefia said, adding that families were facing unimaginable pain and that violence must not be allowed to become normal within Tongan homes and communities.
He extended his thoughts and prayers to the victims, their families and everyone affected by the tragedy.
The two deadly incidents outside LDS meetinghouses within the same year are likely to deepen concerns about gun violence and community safety among Tongans in Utah. Police have not indicated that Monday’s shooting was connected to the January incident.
The latest shooting remains under investigation.
