Sean Amone

In the early morning hours of June 6, 2021, a gathering of friends in Salt Lake City, Utah, turned into a scene of devastating violence. Sean Amone, a 20-year-old male of Pacific Islander descent and a former graduate of West High School, was killed in a drive-by shooting. He and a group of friends, all around 19 or 20 years old, were standing outside a home on North General Drive when the attack occurred. The gunfire also left four of his friends with critical injuries.

The group had convened at the house after an earlier graduation event at Trolley Square was disrupted by a fight and an exchange of gunfire. Just a few minutes after they arrived on General Drive around 1:40 a.m., a white sedan was seen passing the residence. The car returned moments later, and someone inside opened fire on the young men. Sean Amone was struck twice in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. Paramedics rushed the four other victims to area hospitals with severe injuries, including wounds to internal organs.

Investigators quickly determined the shooting was not a random act but retaliation for the earlier confrontation at Trolley Square, where a friend of the assailants had been shot in the leg. According to court documents, one of the individuals involved allegedly made a statement about targeting "Any Polynesians from Rose Park." After the shooting, the suspects fled and attempted to cover their tracks by cleaning shell casings from their vehicle and deleting social media accounts.

Within two days, police arrested a 15-year-old male identified as one of the suspected shooters. Over the following months, three other individuals were charged in connection with the crime. Emmanuel Mading, who was 15 at the time of the incident, was later charged as an adult with murder, multiple counts of discharging a firearm, and obstruction of justice. Another man, 19-year-old Felix Issara, was accused of driving the car used in the shooting and was charged with obstruction of justice for his alleged role in hiding the murder weapon.

A third teenager, who was 16 at the time, was also charged. His connection to the crime was partly established through rap lyrics he had written about the killing, which stated, "We left him dead right on that curb 'n' left his momma traumatized."

In April 2023, this teenager admitted to murder and felony discharge of a firearm in 3rd District Juvenile Court. Following his admission, he was sentenced to secure care, bringing a legal resolution to the case.