Salt Lake City, UT – The suspect in a 2020 shooting at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah, has been identified after more than four years of investigation. Dallin William Litster, 26, is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, and criminal mischief, according to court documents filed on January 22.
The shooting took place in the early morning hours of August 3, 2020, when a guard was stationed in a security booth at the MTC. Around 2:30 a.m., a light-colored vehicle pulled up, and a man exited the car, opening fire on the booth. Nine rounds were fired, several of which struck the desk where the guard was sitting. The guard was forced to duck to avoid being hit, suffering only minor injuries from broken glass. The bullets shattered the booth’s windows, damaged the blinds, and caused over $1,400 in property damage.
For years, the case remained unsolved until May 2024, when Litster made a startling admission. While being transported to jail by the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, Litster “spontaneously” told an officer that he had shot up a booth near the MTC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Litster downplayed the severity of the incident, describing the act as “just vandalism” and claiming the booth was empty at the time.
Investigators later confirmed that Litster, a former Utah Valley University student living in Orem, Utah, at the time of the incident, had previously been linked to a light-colored vehicle matching the description provided by witnesses. Surveillance footage of the shooting showed the vehicle with Idaho license plates, which led authorities to connect the vehicle to Litster through records showing it was registered to his father.
Several of Litster’s former roommates told police that he had expressed negative feelings toward missionaries and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before moving out of the area in August 2020. Following the incident, Litster relocated to Georgia and then Idaho, where officials say the statute of limitations on the case was extended due to his move.
Litster has been charged with attempted murder, a first-degree felony, aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, and criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor. Authorities are seeking a no-bail arrest warrant as Litster remains in custody in Idaho.
The Provo Police Department continues to investigate the case, and it is expected that more details will emerge as the trial progresses.