Two killed in shooting outside Mormon church during memorial service in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY (Journos News) – Two people were killed and six others wounded late Wednesday after a shooting outside a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in Salt Lake City, where mourners had gathered for a memorial service, according to police.

The shooting occurred in the rear parking lot of the red-brick church in northwest Salt Lake City while a funeral was taking place inside. Authorities said all of the victims were adults. At least three of the injured were listed in critical condition.

No suspect was in custody as of Wednesday night, and police said the investigation remained active.

Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said investigators do not believe the attack was motivated by hostility toward the Latter-day Saints faith, commonly known as the Mormon church. He added that police also do not believe the shooting was random, though officials declined to provide further details about a possible motive.

“We don’t believe this was a targeted attack against a religion or anything like that,” Redd said during a late-night briefing.

Shooting unfolds during memorial gathering

The church primarily serves members of the city’s Tongan community and regularly holds worship services in the Tongan language, according to information posted on its website. Police said the memorial service underway at the time of the shooting was for an individual who has not been publicly identified.

Residents of a neighboring low-income housing complex said they rushed outside after hearing gunfire to assist victims and comfort those who had been inside the church.

Brennan McIntire, who lives in an apartment next to the church parking lot, said he and his wife were watching television when they heard several loud shots.

“I jumped off the couch and ran outside,” he said. “As soon as I came over, I saw someone on the ground. People were attending to him, crying and arguing.”

His wife, Kenna McIntire, followed shortly after and described seeing first responders carry an unconscious woman into an ambulance as people nearby sobbed and held one another.

The couple said gunshots are not uncommon in their neighborhood, but never so close.

“It was really heartbreaking to hear and see,” she said.

Large police response, ongoing search

Police said approximately 100 law enforcement vehicles converged on the scene in the aftermath of the shooting, with helicopters circling overhead. Neighbors gathered nearby, some wrapped in blankets, as officers secured the area and began collecting evidence.

Investigators said they were reviewing footage from license plate readers and surveillance cameras from nearby businesses in an effort to identify the shooter. Authorities did not immediately release a description of a suspect or say whether they believed more than one person was involved.

Mayor Erin Mendenhall condemned the violence, saying the setting made the incident especially painful for the community.

“This should never have happened outside a place of worship,” she said. “This should never have happened outside a celebration of life.”

Church and community response

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, said it was cooperating fully with law enforcement and expressed gratitude for the rapid response by emergency crews.

“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,” said church spokesperson Sam Penrod.

Utah is home to approximately 3.5 million people, and about half of the state’s residents are members of the faith. Church meetinghouses are common throughout Salt Lake City neighborhoods, often located near residential areas.

Broader security concerns

The shooting comes amid heightened awareness around security at houses of worship nationwide. In September, four people were killed when a former U.S. Marine opened fire at a church in Michigan and set the building ablaze. Federal investigators later said the attacker was motivated by anti-religious beliefs directed at Latter-day Saints.

Salt Lake City police did not indicate whether Wednesday’s shooting had any connection to that earlier attack, emphasizing instead that there was currently no evidence of religious targeting in this case.

Authorities said additional updates would be released as investigators learn more about what led to the violence and work to notify victims’ families.