A shooting outside a church in Salt Lake City Wednesday night left at least two people dead and several more wounded, authorities and church officials confirmed.
Salt Lake City police said in a social media post that along with the two people killed, at least six more were wounded. At least three of them were in critical condition, police said.
Rio Giancarlo/The Deseret News via AP
In a statement, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed that the shooting occurred outside a church building while a funeral service was being held inside.
“We are aware of a serious incident that occurred outside a Church meetinghouse … in Salt Lake City tonight as a memorial service was being held in the chapel,” the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wrote on social media. “The Church is cooperating with law enforcement and is grateful for the efforts of first responders.”
The suspect or suspects involved in the shooting remain at large, police said.
The circumstances leading up to the incident were unclear.
Salt Lake City Police chief Brian Redd told reporters all the victims were adults.
He said police don’t think the shooting was targeted against a religion but they don’t think it was random. It’s too soon to say whether it was gang-related, he added.
The Associated Press quoted Mayor Erin Mendenhall as saying, “This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life.”
The FBI said in a social media post that it was aware of the incident and was offering support to local law enforcement.











