This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Two days after a funeral for Robert "LaVoy" Finicum attracted men bearing the symbols of well-known militias, a maid working Sunday morning at Kanab's Holiday Inn Express discovered a shattered mirror where a bullet had been fired through a wall.
The shot was not heard by nearby guests or staff and lodged in a headboard, Kanab Police Chief Tom Cram said.
Guests staying in the two rooms openly carried handguns when they spoke to law enforcement, but all denied firing the shot.
"It was kind of suspicious to us in the fact that everybody claims to not be in the room when it happened," Cram said. He believes it was an accidental discharge.
"You get a bunch of people with guns, things happen," Cram said.
Finicum was shot and killed by law enforcement Jan. 26 after three weeks occupying a wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon.
Armed men patrolled an LDS stake center's perimeter as roughly 700 people gathered inside to remember Finicum's life at his Friday service.
Afterward, while Finicum's two eldest daughters called for an independent probe of their father's death and blasted media for what they said was an inaccurate portrayal of the Kanab-born rancher, they were bookended by men bearing symbols used to identify members of the Oath Keeper and Three Percenter militias.
The men pulling church security duty declined to give their names or affiliations. One said their presence was necessary because the Finicum family had received death threats. It is against LDS Church policy to carry a firearm on church grounds.
Cram said there were no incidents during the funeral.
Utah's Statewide Information and Analysis Center had issued a bulletin in advance of the funeral, notifying state law enforcement that "armed extremists" were expected to attend, "some of which may see this event as a tipping point, and potentially shift toward more violent action."
The Center wrote that it knew of no current credible threat to law enforcement or public safety, but that officers should be vigilant and able to recognize symbols commonly used to identify extremists.
Among those symbols: the Three Percenters' various "III%" logos, an Oath Keeper patch, self-produced license plates and the Gadsden Flag — the popular Revolutionary War image of a coiled snake above the words "Don't Tread On Me."
The magazine notes that the Gadsden Flag has broader meaning and that a "sovereign authority" symbol features an image popular with fans of the Grateful Dead.
In a statement to The Tribune, the Center said it acknowledged in its bulletin that law-abiding citizens also may associate with that imagery, and "there was no intent to offend or single out individuals and groups who use these symbols for historical or legitimate purposes.
"We will attempt to articulate those distinctions clearer in the future."
Twitter: @matthew_piper