On the evening of June 15, 2025, Fnu Reena, a 41-year-old woman, was tragically killed in a shooting at the WestFest festival held at Centennial Park in West Valley City, a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah. She was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of what authorities have described as a dispute between two groups. The incident unfolded around 9:20 p.m., turning a community celebration into a scene of chaos and violence.
Reena was not the intended target of the shooter.
The gunfire was allegedly aimed at 18-year-old Hassan Lugundi, who was also killed at the scene. An 8-month-old baby boy, Anderson Garcia Cabrera Jr., was also struck by a stray bullet and died from his injuries. Two other teenagers were wounded in the shooting but survived. At the time of her death, it was discovered that Fnu Reena was eight weeks pregnant, and tragically, her unborn child did not survive.
Within moments of the shooting, police who were already present at the festival took a 16-year-old male suspect, Matthiaz Ioane-Register, into custody. One officer fired at the suspect but did not hit him. The suspect is believed to have ties to the Titanic Crip Society gang, and the shooting is thought to be gang-related. The weapon used in the shooting was a stolen handgun.
Ioane-Register has been charged as an adult with four counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of Fnu Reena, her unborn child, Hassan Lugundi, and Anderson Garcia Cabrera Jr. He also faces multiple counts of felony discharge of a firearm. He is currently being held without bail as the legal proceedings continue. Authorities have stated that he is the only suspect in the shooting.
