In the early hours of August 14, 2019, a dispute that began on social media escalated into a fatal street confrontation, claiming the life of 31-year-old Taylor Kauvaka. The male victim from Salt Lake City was shot and killed in Millcreek, Utah, after intervening in a heated argument to protect another individual. The conflict had its roots in a Facebook argument where Edgar Omar Esquivel, under the alias "Jokie Dinero," allegedly threatened to harm a woman and her infant child.
A meeting was arranged to settle the dispute in person near the Sunnyvale Apartments.
Kauvaka accompanied his brother-in-law and others to the meeting point. There, they were met by Esquivel, then 19, and Alekzander Ethan May, 18. As the argument intensified, May produced a shotgun that he had brought in a cardboard box. Kauvaka stepped forward to de-escalate the situation, placing himself in front of the others and slapping the barrel of the gun away. In that moment, May fired a single shot, striking Kauvaka in the chest and killing him at the scene.
Shortly after the shooting, Alekzander Ethan May approached law enforcement officers in the vicinity and confessed to his involvement. He led them to the discarded shotgun and was subsequently arrested. Edgar Omar Esquivel was also taken into custody. Both men were initially charged with murder.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, Alekzander Ethan May pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter in August 2021 and was sentenced to a term of one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison. In October 2022, Edgar Omar Esquivel also pleaded guilty to manslaughter and criminal solicitation. He was sentenced to 364 days in jail for each charge, to be followed by five years of probation. Court documents revealed that Esquivel had instigated the confrontation and had called May to the scene, knowing May was in possession of a shotgun.
