salt lake city — Investigators say A Shooting outside the church building In Salt Lake City, the killing of two people and the wounding of six others led to a dispute between people who knew each other and were attending a funeral. No arrests have been made in Wednesday’s shooting in the parking lot of a house of worship for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon Church. Authorities say they don’t know if the shooting is gang-related, and they’re having difficulty convincing witnesses to cooperate. Five people remained in hospital on Thursday, with police protection at those facilities.
“We are looking into the cause and cause of the shooting,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Reed said Thursday morning. All of the shooting victims were adults. Police said that at least three of the injured were in critical condition. Faya Tolikaninevo, 46, was one of the two killed.
Police said they did not believe the shooting was random or motivated by hostility to religion.
The red-brick church in the northwest neighborhood of Salt Lake City serves a predominantly Tongan congregation and holds regular worship services in their native language, according to its website.
Upon hearing gunshots, residents of a low-income housing complex next to the church streamed outside to help the victims and console dozens of people who were attending the funeral of a person who police did not identify.
Brennan McIntyre said he and his wife, Kenna, heard several loud gunshots from their apartment next to the church parking lot while watching television. He jumped off the couch and ran outside in his sandals to see what happened.
“As soon as I arrived, I saw someone on the ground,” he said. “People care about him, cry and argue.”
Kenna McIntyre went outside soon after and became upset upon seeing first responders lifting an unconscious woman into an ambulance while people gathered around them and cried.
The couple said they hear gunshots in their neighborhood almost daily, but never outside their door.
“It was really heartbreaking to hear and see,” she said.
About 100 law enforcement vehicles were on the scene following the accident, and helicopters flew overhead. Neighbors gathered in blankets next to the taco truck, watching the officers work and waiting for updates.
Police said they are reviewing license plate readers and surveillance videos from nearby businesses in their search for the suspects.
“This should never have happened outside of a place of worship. This should never have happened outside of a celebration of life,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall said.
The church, based in Salt Lake City, was cooperating with law enforcement and said it was grateful for the quick efforts of first responders.
Church spokesman Sam Penrod said: “We offer our prayers to all those affected by this tragedy and express our deep concern that any sacred place designated for worship should be subjected to violence of any kind.”
About half of Utah’s 3.5 million residents are members of the sect. Houses of worship, like the one where the shooting occurred, can be found in neighborhoods around the city and state.
The church has been on high alert since four people were killed by a former Marine Opening fire in a church in Michigan In September, they set it on fire. The FBI found that the motive was “anti-religious beliefs” against Latter-day Saints.