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At least two people were killed and six others were injured in a shooting outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, authorities said.
According to KTVX, at approximately 7:36 p.m. local time on January 7, officers were dispatched to a report of a shooting outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meeting hall, Lt. Glen Mills of the Salt Lake City Police Department said. TV stations reported that an altercation broke out and shots were fired during a funeral service inside the building.
Police said two people were killed and at least six injured, three of them in critical condition. Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said at a news conference that all the victims were “of the age of majority.”
Redd said dozens of people were attending the funeral when the shooting occurred. Investigators are interviewing witnesses and following leads, he added.
In an earlier statement, police said, “Although the suspect remains unresolved, officers have received solid leads and are working to locate those involved.” Red noted that investigators are still determining whether there is one suspect or multiple suspects.
“We do not believe this was a targeted attack against a religion or anything. We do not believe at this point that this was a random attack,” Redd said, adding that investigators were also looking into whether the incident was gang-related.
Salt Lake Mayor: “This should never happen”
“Our hearts go out to everyone in the Rose Park community following tonight’s tragic shooting,” the Salt Lake City Council said in a statement on social media. During a press conference, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall expressed her condolences to the victims, their families, and the church community.
“This should never have happened,” Mendenhall said. “This should never have happened outside of a place of worship. It should never have happened at a celebration of life that was taking place inside a church.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said it was aware of a “serious incident that occurred outside a church meetinghouse” in Salt Lake City. According to the church, the incident occurred during a memorial service in the chapel.
“The church is cooperating with law enforcement and appreciates the efforts of first responders,” the church said in a statement on social media. “We offer our prayers to all those affected by this tragedy and express our deep concern that sacred spaces intended for worship should be subject to violence of any kind.”
Contributor: Charles Ventura, USA TODAY
