The son of one of the men killed by gunfire in the parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Salt Lake City on Wednesday said his dad exemplified Christ-like love.
Vaea Tulikihihifo Jr. was a father of 12, with one son, David Tulikihihifo, currently serving a mission in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the Church of Jesus Christ. On Sept. 29, Tulikihihifo posted a clip of his dad paying for the meals of Latter-day Saint missionaries with the caption, “I am who I am bc (because) I have a dad who loves to bless people even when he don’t have much.”
“Showing Christlike love towards your neighbors is one of the biggest ways you can show and express your love towards God,” his post said. “Find ways to serve your neighbor to increase your love and faith in Heavenly Father. I love you dad, thank you for being the perfect embodiment of Christlike love !!”
The other victim, 38-year-old Sione Vatuvei, a resident of the Glendale area of Salt Lake City, was also killed during the incident at 660 N. Redwood Road, while a celebration of life was being held inside the building.
Tulikihihifo was serving his family when he was killed, source says
A GoFundMe campaign created for his wife and children describes Tulikihihifo’s final moments alive as being in the service of his family. “On that night, Jr. stepped outside for a brief moment to take care of his family — something he did every day without hesitation. What should have been a simple, ordinary act of love became a moment that forever changed our lives," the donation description read.
He was known by loved ones as having “the biggest heart” and being the “life of the party.”
In a video posted by his wife, Nani Tulikihihifo, his joyful countenance is put on full display.
The GoFundMe added, “Jr. was a man of God — a hardworking provider with the biggest heart. He loved deeply, gave selflessly, and always showed up for others no matter what he was facing himself. Even when he had little, he gave his all. His faith guided the way he lived, loved, and served those around him."
A man who knew Tulikihihifo from working at the Orem Costco, who asked that his name not be used, told the Deseret News that he was loved beyond measure and that staff were in deep mourning for the loss of their colleague and friend.
Several donations on the GoFundMe reflect the connections Tulikihihifo established in his community.
“Junior was a beacon of light to me every day at Costco. Please let us know what more can be done to help now and in the future,” one read, with another adding that “Junior will be incredibly missed by the Costco family. Prayers to his wife, kids and family.”
The other victim of Wednesday’s shooting, Vatuvei, was a reformed federal inmate who married four years ago, had a 3-year-old son and was part of a men’s support group dedicated to Pacific Islander virtues, said Susi Feltch-Malohifo’ou.
“He was on the right path. He was exactly the example that you can turn your life around and find redemption for your mistakes,” said Feltch-Malohifo’ou, development and community engagement officer for Pacific Island Knowledge 2 Action Resources, or PIK2AR.
“Our values are God, community and family. This is not our culture. We are our ancestors’ greatest dream,” she said. “Now let’s act like it. Our ancestors didn’t bring us to these shores to kill each other. They brought us here to thrive and strive and have better lives, but also to keep our culture intact with God, family and community.”
In the meantime, Feltch-Malohifo’ou said, the Tongan community in Salt Lake City will do what it can to respond to tragedy. “We always say, ‘If you don’t like it, do something about it,” she said. “There is no place for violence.”
Investigation remains underway
Police did not have any suspects in custody related to the shooting as of Friday midday.
The Rose Park Community Council posted on their Facebook page expressing their condolences to those affected by the tragedy and inviting community members to reach out to their representatives if they need help.
As police continue their investigation and look for suspects, Salt Lake City police Chief Brian Redd said in a press conference Thursday morning that it is likely there was more than one person involved in the shooting.
“Our focus now is bringing all those involved to justice, and we will do that, and our detectives are working overtime to resolve these issues,” he said.
As a result of the shooting, six other adults were taken to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries; one person has since been released.
In situations like this, Redd said, there is always a fear of escalation and retaliation. “If there are individuals who are in fear of anything like that,” he said, “please reach out to us and let us know so that we can help. And again, we’re asking for anyone in the public or anyone that knows anything about this incident to please reach out to us and share that information with us so we can resolve this.”
To share any information regarding Wednesday’s shooting, the SLCPD’s non-emergency line can be reached at 801-799-3000.