Two people were killed and several injured in a shooting outside a church in Salt Lake City, Utah police said on Wednesday.
The shooting took place in the parking lot of a meetinghouse of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.
Among at least eight adult victims, two died of their injuries, the police said, while three of the survivors were in critical condition. The medical condition of the other victims was not known.
Dozens of people were attending a funeral inside the church at the time. All the victims were adults.
Police said they do not believe the shooter had any animus toward a particular faith.
“We don’t believe this was a targeted attack against a religion or anything like that,” the Salt Lake City police chief, Brian Redd, said.
Upon hearing gunshots, residents from a low-income housing complex next to the church flooded outside to help victims and console dozens of people who had been attending a funeral for a person who was not identified.
Brennan McIntire said he and his wife, Kenna, heard several loud gunshots from their apartment next to the church parking lot while watching TV. He jumped off the couch and ran outside in flip-flop sandals to see what happened.
“As soon as I came over, I see someone on the ground,” he said. “People are attending to him and crying and arguing.”
Kenna McIntire came outside soon after and was rattled at the sight of first responders lifting an unconscious woman into an ambulance while people huddled around and sobbed.
The couple said they hear gunshots in their neighborhood almost daily, but never right outside their door.
“It was really heartbreaking to hear and see,” she said.
Police said they do not believe the shooting was random. Authorities said no suspect was in custody yet.
About 100 law enforcement vehicles attended the scene, and helicopters flew overhead.
“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” Salt Lake City’s mayor, Erin Mendenhall, said.
Church staff were cooperating with law enforcement and were grateful for efforts first responders’ efforts, a spokesperson said.
“We extend prayers for all who have been impacted by this tragedy and express deep concern that any sacred space intended for worship should be subjected to violence of any kind,” Sam Penrod said in a statement.
The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, and about half of Utah’s 3.5 million residents are members of the Mormon faith. Churches like the one where the shooting occurred can be found in towns throughout the city and state.
The church has been on heightened alert since four people were killed when a former marine opened fire in a Michigan place of worship late last year and set it ablaze.
The FBI found that he was motivated by “anti-religious beliefs” against the church.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed reporting
