- Tonga Kaufusi, 27, and Sitiveni Kaufusi, 20, face charges in a West Jordan shooting.
- Both are charged with criminal solicitation aggravated assault, property damage and discharge of a firearm.
- A teen allegedly fired shots after being encouraged by Sitiveni Kaufusi, charges state.
WEST JORDAN — A second man has now been officially charged in connection with a shooting at a West Jordan residence. TONGA POTEKI MAEZ KAUFUSI
Tonga Poteki Maez Kaufusi, 27, of West Jordan, charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with criminal solicitation, two counts of aggravated assault, causing property damage and 20 counts of discharge of a firearm, all third-degree felonies. Sitiveni Fosita Kaufusi, 20, of Salt Lake City, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with the same charges.
On Dec. 28, a West Jordan resident near 2700 West and 7800 South reported to police that a woman he did not know "woke him up by pounding on his front door." After opening the door, the woman "fell into his residence," prompting the homeowner to grab his gun, according to charging documents. The woman then ran off.
About 30 minutes later, an SUV drove by and numerous shots were fired at the residence.
Police "found approximately 20 slugs and shell casings in front of (the) residence, and 16 bullet holes in (the) residence," according to the charges. The homeowner told police "he was inside his residence when it was shot at, and a bullet came within 2 feet of where (he) had been sitting," while a woman in the residence "reported that … several bullets were shot, and a bullet passed within a foot of where she had been sitting."
Detectives found the SUV abandoned nearby. Two teens seen walking nearby were detained and one "was found with a firearm and an extended magazine in his possession with ammunition that matched the spent casings located on scene," the charges state.
The teen said that he and his "brothers" — both of the Kaufusis — "became upset after his sister … claimed that a neighbor pointed a gun at her." The detained teen claimed he fired the shots at the house and was the only shooter, the charges say.
Later that day, both Kaufusis went to the West Jordan Police Department and Tonga Kaufusi claimed he was in the SUV while Sitiveni Kaufusi "admitted that he encouraged (the teen) to fire at the residence," according to the charges.
