SALT LAKE CITY — One of two men facing charges in connection with the deadly shooting outside a Salt Lake City church earlier this month made his first court appearance on Friday.
Ryan Daniel Toutai, 32, was arrested on January 13 and faces a charge of obstruction of justice in the shooting that killed two people and injured six others. The charge means Toutai is accused of lying or covering up information from the night of the shooting.
During the court hearing, in which Toutai appeared remotely, the judge informed him that he would be assigned a public defender. The judge also told Toutai that he was not eligible for bail, but scheduled a detention hearing on that matter for Feb. 2.
Watch video below to see the full court appearance by Ryan Toutai:
Before his appearance ended, Toutai asked what a detention hearing meant, and the judge informed him that it was a hearing where he and his attorney could argue to be released from jail on bail, while prosecutors would present evidence and possibly witnesses in hopes of keeping him behind bars until trial.
According to court documents, following the shooting, detectives discovered multiple people with gunshot wounds in the church's parking lot, and additional victims arrived at area hospitals with gunshot wounds.
Police had said they found multiple used cartridge casings and a handgun at the scene, along with a blue Los Angeles Dodgers baseball hat. Video obtained by police allegedly shows Toutai wearing a Dodgers at the church.
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During a police interview, Toutai claimed he had taken an Uber to the church and that he was inside when he heard gunshots from the parking lot. Toutai denied any involvement with the altercation and denied having any knowledge of what happened. He also denied having a firearm or seeing anyone with a gun that night.
When asked what happened to his Dodgers hat, Toutai told police he didn't know.
Multiple witnesses allegedly gave a description of one of the suspects involved that matched Toutai, and officers also received numerous tips that Toutai was involved in the shooting and had a confrontation with another man in the parking lot.
After seizing Toutai's phone, police said a search revealed video that showed him with a gun similar to the one found at the shooting scene. Additional videos allegedly showed Toutai driving a car with one of the other men involved in the altercation.
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The man seen with Toutai in the video allegedly later showed up at a hospital with a gunshot wound.
Police added that videos taken by witnesses also show Toutai walking toward the church with the other man and a third man, who was also shot during the altercation.
Police say after confronting Toutai with his hat being found at the scene, and the videos showing him leading up to the shooting, detectives informed him that further false statements could result in obstruction of justice charges. Toutai continued to deny any knowledge of the gun or how his hat ended up at the church.
Court documents also state that when Toutai was arrested, they found a loaded handgun underneath the seat of the vehicle.
