Two people were killed and eight others injured after gunfire erupted during a funeral gathering outside a church near Salt Lake City on Wednesday night, according to local authorities, in an incident that has prompted a wide-ranging investigation and a manhunt for those responsible.
Police said officers were dispatched to reports of shots fired at around 7.36 pm local time at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located near 650 North Redwood Road, close to Salt Lake City International Airport.
The shooting took place outside the church building while a funeral service was under way inside, and followed an altercation in the chapel’s parking lot, officials said.
Of the eight injured, three remain in critical condition, while the remaining victims were taken to hospital with injuries described as less serious. Authorities confirmed that some of the wounded were transported to medical facilities in private vehicles before police arrived at the scene.
Glen Mills, a spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Police Department, said investigators were still working to establish the full circumstances of the attack. “We know there are at least eight victims," Mills said. “Two of them have died, three of them are in critical condition, and three others are in unknown condition."
Police have not released the names or ages of the victims. Mills added that officers were examining whether the shooting may have been gang-related, though he stressed that no motive had been officially confirmed.
No suspects were in custody late on Wednesday. According to police, at least one suspect fled the scene in a vehicle that was last seen heading north on Redwood Road. Officers are searching an area stretching from Redwood Road towards the Jordan River, though police said they do not yet have a concrete description of the suspect vehicle.
Redwood Road was closed in both directions between 500 North and 700 North as officers secured the scene and conducted investigative work. Police urged members of the public to avoid the area while the operation continued.
Local media outlet KUTV reported that no arrests had been made as of late Wednesday. Reuters, citing an ABC News affiliate, also reported that at least one suspect escaped following the shooting. Social media posts suggested that as many as nine people may have been shot and claimed that some individuals had been detained, but officials said those details had not been confirmed or linked to the incident.
The FBI’s Salt Lake City office said it was aware of the shooting and was offering assistance to local law enforcement agencies as the investigation remained ongoing.
