Anetone Simanu

Anetone Simanu, a 35-year-old Hispanic man known to friends as a loyal and funny person who brought happiness to those around him, was a father of two who worked in maintenance and security. His life was cut short in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 3, 2023, in a downtown Salt Lake City parking lot.

At 4:04 a.m., dispatchers received a 911 call reporting a shooting at 128 West 300 South. Salt Lake City Police officers arrived within two minutes to what they described as a "large and chaotic scene" in the lot, which was located between Pierpont Avenue and 300 South. They found community members trying to perform life-saving measures on Simanu. Officers took over the efforts, but he had been shot once in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to witness statements and arresting documents, the shooting stemmed from a fight between Simanu and another man, Michael Trevino, who did not know each other. Witnesses told police the fight was broken up and the two men were separated. However, Simanu was reportedly upset and approached Trevino moments later, wanting to engage in a "one-on-one fight." It was then that Trevino allegedly pulled out a gun, cursed at Simanu, and shot him.

Investigators worked through the week, using surveillance video to identify a vehicle Trevino used to flee the scene. While police initially arrested two people for interfering with the investigation, they continued to search for the shooter. On the evening of Thursday, September 7, 2023, members of the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team and SWAT Team located and arrested 23-year-old Michael Tifi Trevino at an apartment complex.

Trevino was booked into the Salt Lake County jail on charges of murder and obstruction of justice and was ordered held without bail. At the time of his arrest, the gun used in the shooting had not been located. The case entered the court system following the arrest in September 2023.