Idaho Man pleads guilty to 2020 shooting at Missionary Training Center in Provo
News Team
The following comes from ABC affiliate ABC4 by Abigail Jones:
PROVO, Utah — An Idaho man pleaded guilty yesterday to a shooting at the Provo Missionary Training Center (MTC) back in 2020.
Dallin William Litster, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder (a second-degree felony) and five counts of felony discharge of a firearm (third-degree felonies) in Fourth District Court.
Litster was identified as a suspect in January of this year and charged with 9 counts of felony discharge of a firearm, one count of aggravated assault, one count of attempted murder, and one count of criminal mischief. He was extradited from Idaho to Utah on those charges.
According to a press release from Provo Police, early in the morning of August 3, 2020, there were reports of gunshots at the Provo MTC guard booth, which as occupied by a security guard at the time. Bullets shattered the glass window and entered the booth, striking the desk and the computer but missing the guard. The guard did sustain some injuries from the glass shattering, however.
Provo Police responded to the scene, and detectives worked with BYU investigators to find evidence, review camera footage, and interview the guard. Through interviews and video evidence, detectives determined that a man in a light-colored SUV drove into the area, parked near the booth, got out of the vehicle, and began shooting into the booth with a handgun.
They also determined that if the guard had not reacted quickly and moved to shelter from the gunfire, he probably would have been shot.
Investigators were not able to identify a suspect or the vehicle involved, and it took until 2024 for a suspect to be identified.
In May 2024, a deputy from Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office in Idaho contacted Provo Police to tell them that after they had arrested Litster for a different crime, he admitted to “shooting at the MTC” in Provo.
Litster said that the booth was empty when he shot it and that it was “just vandalism.” Several roommates of his also told police that Litster had “issues” with missionaries and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Provo detectives determined that Litster was enrolled at UVU in Orem for the fall semester of 2020 and he had rented a room in Provo at that time. He also had access to a vehicle matching the description of the one used in the crime and a handgun. Litster also left the state within a few weeks of the shooting to return to Idaho.