Two people have been killed and several others injured in a shooting outside a Mormon church in Salt Lake City, Utah, police said on Wednesday. The incident occurred in the parking lot of a meetinghouse of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while dozens were attending a funeral inside.
Police reported at least eight adult victims, with two fatalities and three survivors in critical condition. The conditions of the other victims remain unknown. Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd stated that the shooting is not believed to be targeted at any religion. “We don’t believe this was a targeted attack against a religion or anything like that,” he said.
Residents from a nearby low-income housing complex rushed to help after hearing gunshots. Brennan McIntire, who lives next to the church, described hearing loud shots while watching TV. “As soon as I came over, I see someone on the ground,” he said. “People are attending to him and crying and arguing.” His wife, Kenna, was shaken by the sight of first responders lifting an unconscious woman into an ambulance.
Police do not believe the shooting was random, and no suspect has been taken into custody. Approximately 100 law enforcement vehicles responded, with helicopters overhead. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall condemned the violence, saying, “This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life.”
Church spokesperson Sam Penrod expressed gratitude to first responders and extended prayers for those affected. “We extend deep concern that any sacred space intended for worship should be subjected to violence of any kind,” he said. The church, headquartered in Salt Lake City, has been on alert since a fatal attack on a Michigan place of worship last year.
