Teen shot outside Kearns funeral believed to have shot 2 others first
Aug 18, 2026, 1:49 PM
Two Salt Lake County sheriff’s deputies hurry toward their vehicles and rush off with lights and sirens as law enforcement investigates a shooting that occurred in Kearns during a funeral on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
KEARNS — A 45-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a fatal confrontation at a funeral in Kearns that resulted in one man being killed and two others critically injured.
Afuhia Masiu Manatau was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of murder and shooting a gun, causing serious injury, for allegedly supplying a gun to his teen son that was used to shoot two other men, killing one.
Unified police responded Monday to a report of a shooting at a church, 4660 W. 5015 South, just before 11:30 a.m.
“Multiple callers reported gunshots at a funeral after a physical altercation. Information gathered by officers was (that) three victims received gunshot wounds,” a police booking affidavit states.
Vilisoni Angilau, 18, was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to Intermountain Medical Center.
Officers responding to the church spotted “an individual who appeared to be injured being carried” and loaded into a a 2026 Kia Carnival. “Officers told those individuals to stop, but they refused. The individuals got into a car and fled,” according to a statement from United police on Tuesday.
Following a brief chase, police stopped the vehicle near 4100 West and 4175 South. Manatau was in the vehicle and was taken into custody, according to the affidavit. Manatau’s 17-year-old son was also in the vehicle “and had a gunshot wound to the chest,” the affidavit states.
A third victim, 18, was located “still on the perimeter of the church” and taken to a hospital in critical condition.
As detectives tried to sort out what had happened, one witness told them that she was attending the funeral and went outside, where she saw Manatau’s son and another male fighting. That’s when witnesses say Manatau pulled out a gun and gave it to his son, who shot the person he was fighting, according to the affidavit. Another witness told police that the son took the gun from his father, “racked it, and … shot twice,” striking the person he was fighting both times.
Unified police on Tuesday stated that they now believe the 17-year-old shot both Angilau and the other 18-year-old after receiving a gun from Manatau. Both victims then went after the 17-year-old and were able to take the gun away and shoot him before Angilau succumbed to his injuries. Although the 17-year-old is believed to have shot the two men, police say his father was also arrested for allegedly supplying the gun.
Multiple people told KSL the funeral was being held for Ofa’tangikivaha Angilau, 23, who was shot and killed after bringing a shotgun into a Chevron Holiday gas station in Riverton on Aug. 7.
The police affidavit also mentions a Toyota Tundra that “returned to the scene,” and inside the vehicle were a 16-year-old driver and a 19-year-old passenger. The affidavit states that the 19-year-old passenger had a gun in his waistband. It was not known Tuesday if any charges were pending against the 16- or 19-year-old.
This story will be updated.
