Utah Seeks Extradition for Deadly Church Shooting

0:00Prosecutors in Utah are pushing to bring back a 32-year-old man from California on two counts of murder after a deadly shooting at a church, parking lot in Salt Lake City back on January 7. John Via Waysike, Jr. faces six felony charges, including weapons violations, for the attack that killed two men during a funeral gathering. He got picked up by law enforcement on April 14 in California, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office. The gunfire erupted from a dispute among folks who knew each other, all adults, at a Mormon church spot, mostly serving Tongan congregants. The victims were identified as 46-year-old Via Touliki-Hihifo and 38-year-old Sione-Vatuvé with six others injured in the chaos. Police made it clear this wasn't about hate toward any faith, just personal beef spilling over. New court docs unsealed Monday, paying a picture of U.S. CK, grabbing a gun from a black SUV. Firing warning shots in the air, then blasting tortha, crowd, and the church.

1:03He took a bullet himself, got treated, and bolted to California. Meanwhile, two other guys caught federal firearms charges in February. As Utah officials fight for extradition, this case highlights tensions in tight knit communities and will keep watching how it unfolds from here. Local news, powered by AI. This is Durham News Today.