KEARNS, Utah — One man is dead and two others are critically injured following a shooting outside a funeral Monday morning at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Kearns, Utah.

The shooting occurred shortly before 11:30 a.m. at the church near 5000 South and 4600 West. According to Unified Police Assistant Chief Justin Hoyal, police had already been asked to attend the funeral after people associated with the gathering contacted authorities earlier in the morning and warned that there could be trouble.

Officers were therefore already at the church when gunfire erupted.

Police found one man critically wounded and provided aid before he was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A second shooting victim was seen being carried toward a vehicle. According to police, officers attempted to stop the people with him, but the vehicle fled. Officers pursued it a short distance before stopping it near 4700 South and 4000 West in West Valley City. The wounded man was transported to a hospital in critical condition.

A third man suffering from critical gunshot injuries was located at the church and also hospitalized.

Authorities have not publicly released the identities or ages of the three men as of this report.

Police Were Warned Before the Shooting

One of the more unusual aspects of Monday's shooting is that police did not simply respond after shots were fired.

They were already there.

Hoyal said authorities received a request early Monday morning asking for a police presence at the funeral. Attendees reportedly warned that there could be a problem.

That warning, combined with the circumstances surrounding the shooting, is now raising questions about what investigators knew beforehand and what dispute may have preceded the violence.

The investigation remains active, and police have not publicly established a motive.

Possible Gang Connection Under Investigation

Police are reportedly examining whether gang activity played a role in Monday's shooting.

That possibility deserves attention because this is not the first recent shooting involving a funeral at an LDS meetinghouse in the Salt Lake City area.

On January 7, 2026, gunfire erupted outside another Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Salt Lake City while a funeral was being held. Two men were killed and six people were injured.

At the time, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said there were indications that people at the scene were potentially involved in gang activity, although investigators initially stopped short of officially declaring the shooting gang-related. Police said the confrontation involved people who knew one another rather than a random attack on the church.

What happened afterward makes that earlier incident particularly relevant.

In February, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah announced federal firearms charges against two men authorities identified as alleged members of the Tongan Crip Gang.

Federal prosecutors identified the men as Ryan Daniel Toutai, also known as "Lost One," and Fineeva Pomona Maka, also known as "Finloc."

According to federal court allegations, investigators recovered a Ruger 9mm pistol at the January church shooting scene. Prosecutors said evidence obtained from Toutai's phone and Maka's GPS ankle monitor helped connect the men to the firearm.

Federal investigators further alleged that photographs and videos showed the two men claiming membership in the Tongan Crip Gang and interacting with other members of the gang. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Another Funeral, Another LDS Meetinghouse

Monday's shooting occurred at a meetinghouse identified by the Church's own meetinghouse locator as serving the Salt Lake Utah Central Stake, a Tongan congregation.

The January shooting also occurred during a funeral associated with a Tongan-speaking LDS congregation.

That similarity is noteworthy, particularly given the federal allegations arising from the January case. However, IRC Media has found no evidence at this time establishing that Monday's shooting and the January shooting involved the same people, the same gang, or the same underlying dispute.

No such connection should be assumed unless investigators establish one.

Is the LDS Church Connected to Organized Crime?

There is an important distinction here.

IRC Media's review found evidence of alleged gang members being present at or connected to the January funeral shooting, and authorities are examining possible gang involvement in Monday's incident.

We did not find credible evidence showing that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an institution is associated with, supports, directs or participates in organized criminal activity.

The evidence instead points to something very different: funerals held at church properties being attended by people from the surrounding community, some of whom may have gang associations.

That distinction matters.

The fact that criminal activity takes place on church property does not establish criminal involvement by the church itself.

Why the Pattern Still Deserves Scrutiny

There is nevertheless a legitimate question for investigators.

Within approximately seven months, two funerals at LDS meetinghouses in the Salt Lake Valley have experienced deadly shootings. Both involved Tongan congregations or communities, and the earlier shooting ultimately produced federal charges against two alleged Tongan Crip Gang members.

Monday's shooting was serious enough that people attending the funeral apparently anticipated trouble and requested police protection before the violence began.

Those facts do not establish a conspiracy or institutional connection.

They do establish a pattern worth examining.

Investigators will now have to determine whether Monday's violence was a family dispute, gang retaliation, an ongoing feud, or something entirely different — and whether there is any connection whatsoever to previous violence in the area.

Nearby Schools Secured

The shooting also prompted West Kearns Elementary, Gourley Elementary and Kearns Junior High to enter secure protocol at the direction of law enforcement.

Students and staff remained inside while exterior doors were locked and entry and exit were temporarily restricted. The protocols were lifted shortly after noon.

Police described the investigation as one that could remain active for some time.

IRC Media will continue monitoring law-enforcement statements, court records and credible local reports as investigators identify the victims and determine what led to the shooting.

Editor's Note: Some information surrounding a possible gang connection remains under investigation. IRC Media has included documented information from a separate January 2026 LDS funeral shooting because of the similarities between the incidents. At this time, authorities have not publicly established a connection between the two shootings, and there is no evidence that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints itself was involved in criminal activity.