Utah Liquor Store Shooting: Road Rage Confrontation Reveals Shooter as Taliban Member
- Mahamunimodi Team
- Mar 16
- 2 min read
A 23-year-old man from Magna who was shot by a trooper inside a liquor store has now been formally charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting another man during a road rage incident.
Tyler Traveon Mhaka has been charged in 3rd District Court with attempted murder, a first-degree felony.
According to investigators, the incident began on February 26 at the intersection of 3500 South and 2700 West, where a driver was stopped at a red light while waiting to make a right turn. The driver behind him, identified as Mhaka, repeatedly honked his horn. The man later told authorities he could not move forward because pedestrians were crossing the road, yet the honking continued.
Frustrated, the victim made a hand gesture toward Mhaka before turning into the Utah State Liquor Store located at 4451 S. 2700 West.
As the victim walked toward the store entrance, Mhaka allegedly drove up and began firing a gun, striking the man in the arm and back, according to charging documents.
The injured man ran inside the liquor store for safety, but prosecutors say Mhaka followed him inside while continuing to fire his weapon. The victim was ultimately struck by multiple bullets in his arm, back, and right leg, and police later recovered seven shell casings from the scene.
The shooting stopped only when an off-duty Utah Highway Patrol trooper, who happened to be inside the store, returned fire, halting the attack.
During the investigation, detectives initially noted that Mhaka was described as a documented member of a local gang known as “Taliban” and had recently returned from Dubai, with possible family connections in the Middle East. However, the Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office later clarified that the gang referenced is a local group and not connected to the Taliban militant organization in Afghanistan.
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