An 18-year-old Provo man was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Salt Lake County jail following allegations that he sent a series of Snapchat messages threatening to kill a classmate and their family. According to a report published August 26, the threats were reportedly motivated by the victim being transgender and gay. Damyen Vainuku faces suspicion of aggravated assault, prohibited dangerous weapon conduct, and threat of violence.
Police received a report on August 20 stating that Vainuku had sent threats to shoot and kill the victim along with a photo of a gun. The victim reported the threats to high school staff using the SafeUT reporting system. This system is operated by the Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah and allows students to submit confidential tips regarding violence and threats.
High school staff informed the Salt Lake City and West Valley City police departments about the report. Detectives used tracking technologies to monitor Vainuku's movements during the investigation. On August 25, officers located Vainuku getting off a FrontRunner train in the Salt Lake County area and took him into custody.
While police sought a search warrant for Vainuku's person and a residence in Provo, no weapons were found during the search. Vainuku reportedly admitted to sending many threats to various individuals using pictures of a gun and allegedly told the victim that his gang membership would make the threat more credible. The Salt Lake City Gang Unit had previously been investigating Vainuku for illegally possessing a semi-automatic handgun. Vainuku, who was already on probation following a juvenile burglary conviction, allegedly admitted to being an active member of a street gang.
Vainuku is currently being held without bail. Under Utah law, aggravated assault and prohibited dangerous weapon conduct are third-degree felonies, while threat of violence is a Class A misdemeanor. While prosecutors may seek a hate crime penalty enhancement, Utah law requires a defendant to first be convicted of the underlying offense before a court can elevate the penalty degree.
