A man charged with obstructing the investigation into a shooting that left two dead and six injured outside a Salt Lake City Latter-day Saint meetinghouse made his first appearance in court on Friday.
Salt Lake City police arrested Ryan Toutai, 32, on Jan. 13 after witnesses told investigators he was involved in the Jan. 7 shooting. According to arrest documents, police recovered a video from the man’s phone taken about a month before the shooting showing him handling a firearm that authorities say was recovered from the scene. Investigators also retrieved what they say is Toutai’s hat from the parking lot.
The shooting occurred during a memorial service at the Rose Park 5th Ward meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 660 N. Redwood Road, where the Riverside 2nd Ward also gathers. Police identified the two men who died as 38-year-old Sione Vatuvei and 46-year-old Vaea Tulikihihifo.
Detectives confronted Toutai with evidence of his involvement and told him that he could be charged with obstruction of justice if he gave false statements, arrest documents state. Toutai continued to deny any knowledge of the firearm recovered at the scene and could not explain how his hat ended up in the location of the gunfire, according to arrest documents.
During Toutai’s virtual court appearance Friday, a judge scheduled his detention hearing for Feb. 2 at 9 a.m. Toutai is currently being held without bail at the Salt Lake County jail.
Toutai has “reported involvement” with the Tongan Crip Gang and was at the event dressed in gang colors and attire, police said in arrest documents. Police Chief Brian Redd has said there was an indication that there were “individuals at the scene that were potentially involved in gang activity” but that authorities did not know the cause of the violence.
Toutai was the first man arrested in the case. Authorities also arrested a 22-year-old man on Wednesday on suspicion of obstruction of justice. The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not name people who have been arrested until prosecutors have filed charges.