An 18-year-old Utah man has been charged after allegedly stalking a former classmate and repeatedly threatening to kill him and his family because he is gay.
Damyen Vainuku, of Provo, is accused of targeting a former West High School classmate identified in court documents as F.F.
Prosecutors say Vainuku sent repeated threats over social media, including messages involving firearms and statements that explicitly referenced the victim’s sexual orientation.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and Vainuku is presumed innocent unless convicted.
‘Can’t Wait To Kill A Gay Person’
According to charging documents, F.F. told police that Vainuku threatened on 20 August to shoot him and members of his family because of his sexuality.
The victim said he had repeatedly asked Vainuku to stop contacting him, but Vainuku allegedly continued attempting to follow him online using multiple social media accounts.
Police say one message stated that he “can’t wait to kill a gay person”, while another allegedly threatened to make the victim’s family “suffer” so they would “learn not to be gay”.
Investigators ultimately identified 13 specific threats of violence involving a firearm.
Vainuku is also accused of threatening to distribute intimate videos of the victim.
Prosecutors Say Sexual Orientation Was The Motive
Police took Vainuku into custody on 25 August and obtained a search warrant for his electronic devices.
According to prosecutors, investigators found photographs of firearms alongside threatening messages sent to F.F.
Authorities also allege that Vainuku admitted making threats towards the victim and his family because of the victim’s sexual orientation.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill condemned the alleged conduct.
“Threats of violence are unacceptable,” Gill said.
“Stalking and threats based on someone’s sexual orientation or how they appear are abhorrent and make our entire community less safe.”
The District Attorney’s Survivor and Victims Services team is working with the victim and his family.
Hate-Crime Enhancements Added
Vainuku faces a second-degree felony stalking charge, six third-degree felony counts relating to prohibited possession of a dangerous weapon, along with charges of threat of violence and harassment.
The stalking, threat and harassment allegations carry Utah’s “victim targeting” penalty enhancements.
Those provisions allow prosecutors to seek harsher penalties where a person is alleged to have intentionally selected a victim because of characteristics including sexual orientation.
The enhancements effectively serve as Utah’s hate-crime law, rather than creating a separate standalone hate-crime offence.
Anti-LGBTQ+ Threats Carry Real Consequences
The allegations are particularly concerning because they involve repeated targeting over time rather than a single alleged confrontation.
Queer people frequently face harassment and threats online, and cases involving stalking can quickly move from digital abuse into genuine fears for personal safety.
For LGBTQ+ young people, repeated threats aimed not only at them but at their whānau can be particularly destabilising.
This case is now moving through Utah’s courts, where prosecutors will need to prove both the underlying offences and the alleged bias motivation beyond reasonable doubt.
