On Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, a shooting erupted outside a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Salt Lake City, Utah, during a memorial service. The incident resulted in two fatalities and six injuries.
The victims, 38-year-old Sione Vatuvei and 46-year-old Vaea Tulikihihifo, were killed in a gunfire exchange in the parking lot of the Rose Park 5th Ward meetinghouse, located at 660 N. Redwood Road. The incident took place roughly four miles west of Temple Square. All eight affected individuals were adults.
Of the six injured, three were in critical condition while the other three were taken to hospitals in private vehicles with undisclosed conditions. By Thursday, one victim had been discharged from the hospital, as per police reports.
The violence started when a dispute erupted during the memorial service, which drew approximately 200 attendees. The police were called to the scene around 7:30 p.m. Upon arrival at the Rose Park neighborhood, the suspected shooter or shooters had already absconded.
Police Chief Brian Redd clarified that the shooting was neither an attack on religion nor a random act of violence. The department’s gang unit was dispatched to investigate, as there were signs of potential gang involvement at the scene.
In the ongoing investigation, two individuals were briefly held for questioning, but as of late Wednesday, none were considered suspects. There had been no arrests announced by the police department at that time.
The investigation was hampered by some victims who were uncooperative with the police, leading to difficulties in reconstructing the series of events. Detectives were still working to interview hospitalized victims and identify all parties involved in the incident.
The Rose Park 5th Ward meetinghouse, known to locals for occasional crime, also serves as a gathering place for the Riverside 2nd Ward. Both congregations, primarily of Tongan origin, worship at the meetinghouse according to church records.
Following the incident, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall expressed her shock and concern about the occurrence of violence at a place of worship. “This should never have happened at a place of worship,” Mendenhall stated, vowing that the perpetrators would be pursued by law enforcement.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement late Wednesday acknowledging the incident. Church spokesman Sam Penrod confirmed that a memorial service was ongoing in the chapel during the shooting outside the building.
The church expressed its cooperation with law enforcement and gratitude for first responders. Penrod offered prayers for all those affected by the tragedy and expressed his deep concern about the violence in a sacred space of worship.
By Thursday morning, Chief Redd gave an update confirming the identities of the deceased victims. He reiterated that the shooting did not appear to be a targeted attack on the Latter-day Saint faith and that there was no perceived threat to the general public.
The incident was particularly devastating for Salt Lake City’s Pacific Islander community, which has strong ties to both congregations that worship at the Rose Park meetinghouse. The violence disrupted a memorial service attended by members of the local Tongan community.
Police investigators worked overnight, interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence from the parking lot where the shooting took place. The department urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward and assist the investigation.
The violence broke out during what should have been a peaceful gathering to honor a deceased community member. Instead, the memorial service was thrown into chaos when gunfire erupted outside the church, causing attendees to seek safety inside the meetinghouse.
Police established a search perimeter from 500 North to 700 North on Redwood Road, extending to the Jordan River. Officers scoured the area for witnesses, evidence, and any leads that could help locate the suspects who had fled the scene.
As the investigation continued into Thursday, the police were trying to establish whether the suspects had attended the funeral or memorial service or had come to the meetinghouse parking lot specifically to confront attendees. The circumstances leading to the dispute and subsequent shooting remained under investigation.
This incident only adds to the concerns for the community already dealing with violence, especially in areas where gang activity has been an ongoing issue. The involvement of the police gang unit in the investigation underscored the potential connections between the shooting and existing gang-related conflicts in the area.
