Shooting at Federal Courthouse in Salt Lake City

At approximately 9:25 a.m., during a federal criminal trial, the defendant rushed a witness on the witness stand in an aggressive, threatening manner. A deputy U.S. marshal engaged and shot the defendant. The defendant was struck in the chest and subsequently transported to a local hospital where he died in the early afternoon. No other individuals were harmed in the altercation. The courthouse was secured, and indications are that no weapons were secreted into the courthouse.

Siale Angilau was the final defendant in a series of cases being prosecuted by the United States government in federal court against members and associates of the Tongan Crip gang. Several defendants were tried in a case that ended in 2011. Eric Kamahele, the lead defendant in the case, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The jury was picked Friday, and the trial against Mr. Angilau began this morning in federal court.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the lead agency on this investigation in cooperation with the United States Marshals Service, Salt Lake City Police Department, and United States Attorney’s Office.