Woman and Infant Killed by Stray Bullets During Shooting at Festival
During the final night of a festival in West Valley City, Utah, two innocent bystanders, 41-year-old Fnu Reena and an eight-month-old baby, were shot and killed during a dispute between two groups of people that escalated. As police approached the groups to “calm things down,” a 16-year-old male from one of the groups took out a gun, fired at the other group, apparently targeting an 18-year-old who was shot and died at the scene. One officer fired at the suspect but missed. Five people in total were shot, including two other teenagers who were injured. It is not clear if the teenagers were involved in the altercation. The male suspect was “very quickly” taken into custody and is accused of homicide.
The infant killed, Anderson Garcia Jr., had a twin brother. The boys’ father said he hadn’t intended to go the festival, but was shopping nearby and thought it would be fun for his twin sons. A GoFundMe page has been set up to cover the costs to take the baby to Guatemala so that he can be buried among family members.
Sources:
Alton Barnhart, Sam Herrera, “3 Killed, 2 Injured in Shooting at West Valley City Carnival,” kslnewsradio.com (June 16, 2025).
“WVC Couple Raised Funds to Bury 8-month-old Son, Killed in WestFest Shooting,” gephardtdaily.com (June 16, 2025).