Deadly Shooting Outside Salt Lake City Church Stemmed from Dispute Among Funeral Attendees, Police Say

Salt Lake City, Utah — January 8, 2026

A dispute among attendees at a funeral service escalated into gunfire outside a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Salt Lake City's Rose Park neighborhood on Wednesday evening, leaving two people dead and six others injured, authorities said.Police identified the deceased victims as Sione Vatuvei, 38, and Vaea Tulikihifo, 46. All eight victims were adults, and the shooting occurred entirely outside the building, in the parking lot.

The incident unfolded shortly after 7:30 p.m. at the Rose Park 5th Ward meetinghouse, located at 660 N. Redwood Road. A memorial service was underway inside for members of the local Tongan-speaking congregations when an altercation broke out among some funeral goers outside, leading to a possible exchange of gunfire, according to Salt Lake City police.

"We don't believe this was a targeted attack against a religion or anything like that," Police Chief Brian Redd said during a news conference. Investigators described the violence as stemming from a conflict between individuals who knew each other and were attending the service, possibly involving rival parties.

Of the six injured, three were reported in critical condition as of late Wednesday, while the status of the others remained unclear, partly because some victims were transported to hospitals in private vehicles.

No suspects were in custody as of Thursday morning, and a manhunt was ongoing. Police urged witnesses to come forward, noting that some individuals have been less than cooperative with the investigation.

The meetinghouse primarily serves Tongan wards of the church, and many attendees were from Utah's Pacific Islander community. Susi Feltch-Malohifo’ou, CEO of Pacific Island Knowledge 2 Action Resources (PIK2AR), a violence prevention organization, called the event a "tragedy in our community" and emphasized the need for continued efforts to address violence.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall described the shooting as heartbreaking, stating, "This tragedy never should have happened... The fact that it happened outside a place of worship during a celebration of life is especially heartbreaking."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement expressing awareness of the "serious incident" outside the building and extending prayers for those impacted, while affirming cooperation with law enforcement.The investigation remains active, with no ongoing threat to the public reported.

17GEN4.com