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← Possible Distraction People

David Sprague

"David Sprague" (also written "DavidJames Sprague") is the name online citizen researchers most often attach today to the curly-haired man seen in UVU crowd footage — the same man also seen chanting "USA" after the shot. This page exists because the name circulates publicly and readers search for it — not because any identification has been confirmed, and not to accuse anyone of anything.

:::caution One person, unverified identification — no accusation This page describes the same unidentified man that several other pages on this site also cover — the curly-haired figure in the UVU crowd who was also seen chanting "USA." The names below (Matt Taber, James Norman Rawlinson, David Sprague) and the handle @RtothepowerofX all come from anonymous crowd-sourced facial matching and public-records guessing. None has been confirmed by a reliable, on-the-record source. Being present in a crowd — or reacting to a shooting — is not evidence of involvement in any crime. Nothing on this page is a finding of wrongdoing against any living person. :::

The same man — several labels​

Online researchers use several different labels for what they say is one individual. Each label has its own page on this site so search traffic lands somewhere accurate and caveated:

  • Curly Hair Man — the neutral description of the crowd figure
  • USA-Chant Man — the man seen chanting "USA" after the shot
  • Matt Taber — an early name guess, later set aside
  • James Norman Rawlinson — floated as a possible birth name
  • David Sprague — a name he reportedly uses now (reportedly a mother's maiden name; also written "DavidJames Sprague") (this page)
  • @RtothepowerofX — an X handle cited online in connection with him

The links between these labels are allegations by anonymous online accounts, not established fact. This site does not vouch for any of them.

What the footage shows​

The underlying observation is narrow and comes from short, isolated video loops:

  • He was described as turning toward the direction of the shot.
  • He was described as standing up when others around him did not.
  • In separate news clips he is seen chanting "USA" in the seconds after the shot.

Some viewers online read his demeanor as celebratory. Those are subjective readings of short clips, not findings — a startle-and-stand reaction, or a reflexive chant under shock, is common and looks very different in isolation than in fully time-synced context.

His reported explanation​

According to the same clips that circulated, the man later said he chanted "USA" to create a distraction that might calm the panicking crowd and help save lives — not to celebrate the shooting. His stated intent is a reported account, not an established fact, and it cuts directly against the "celebration" reading some posters attached to the footage.

Public records cited online​

Commentators point to ordinary, publicly-searchable records. None of these records indicates any wrongdoing; they are listed only because they are repeatedly cited online:

  • A business reportedly operated as Joseph Hasel LLC, DBA "Salon 21".
  • That business reportedly received roughly $115,200 in federal COVID-era loans — a program used by hundreds of thousands of small businesses.
  • Buzzfile reportedly estimates the business's revenue at about $47,000/year.
  • A stylist profile for locs work at a Provo, Utah salon ("Dreadknotilus") under a similar name.

Running a salon, receiving a pandemic small-business loan, and cutting hair are normal, lawful activities. They are noted here only to document what online researchers have pointed to — not to imply anything improper about anyone.

Open questions​

  1. Has any reliable, on-the-record source actually identified this man?
  2. Do the circulated names refer to one real person, or to mismatched records?
  3. Does complete, time-synced video place his movements and his chant in ordinary context rather than the short loops that circulate?
  4. Was his reported explanation — chanting to calm the crowd — ever corroborated?

Status​

Status: Alive (private individual). This page names no confirmed identity and accuses no one of any crime or of any role in the events of September 10, 2025.

Sources​

  • Citizen-shared crowd footage and public-records discussion on X (including the handle @RtothepowerofX), retained in the project investigation file. Identifications are unverified and attributed to anonymous online research.
  • Companion narrative: The List of Distraction People (Claims).