SALT LAKE CITY — The man arrested in connection with the shooting outside a Salt Lake City church, where two people were killed and six others injured, is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
Ryan Daniel Toutai, 32, was arrested earlier this month for obstruction of justice, with court documents showing that on the night of the Jan. 7 shooting, Toutai told officers that he hadn't seen what occurred, but quickly retracted his statement, saying he saw
"the bodies drop."
Toutai claimed to have gone to the church for a funeral service, and after giving a speech, went outside to smoke a cigarette. Once outside, Toutai said he saw a woman who had been shot drop to the ground and heard multiple gunshots. However, he claimed not to have seen anyone shoot the victim or know who was involved.
Following other witness interviews, police say they learned more about the suspects involved, including their descriptions. According to the witnesses, several men got into an argument before the gunshots were fired.
According to the witnesses, one of the shooters was allegedly dressed in all black with a blue bandana around his neck and a blue or black baseball cap. Detectives were able to obtain multiple photographs and videos, which they say showed Toutai inside the church wearing clothes that matched the descriptions. Additionally, a blue Los Angeles Dodgers hat was located at the scene of the shooting, which Toutai claimed to have lost.
During a follow-up interview with Toutai, he again denied any involvement, saying he did not fire, possess, or touch a gun on the night in question. However, when police obtained a search warrant for Toutai's phone, they found two videos recorded the day of the shooting, allegedly showing Toutai displaying two pistols.
Investigators were able to locate the serial number of one of the guns in the video on Toutai's phone and matched it to a gun found in the church's parking lot following the shooting. Court documents also state that when Toutai was arrested, they found a loaded handgun underneath the seat of the vehicle.
Investigators asked the court to hold Toutai without bail due to his reported involvement in the Tongan Crip Gang and his frequent travels between Utah and California.
His first court appearance is scheduled for Friday at 10:00 a.m.
