Shooting Outside Mormon Church Triggers Outrage and Investigation After Funeral Dispute Turns Deadly
A deadly shooting outside a Mormon church in Salt Lake City has left two people dead, six injured, and police scrambling for answers about the motive behind the violence.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing gunshots coming from the parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where a funeral was underway. The incident occurred when individuals who knew each other and were attending the same event got into a heated argument over a dispute that escalated into gunfire.
"It was really heartbreaking to hear and see," said one neighbor, describing the chaotic scene outside their apartment next door. "We hear gunshots in our neighborhood almost daily, but never right outside our door."
Police have stated that they do not believe the shooting was random or targeted at the faith specifically. However, with tensions running high, the community remains on edge.
"This should never have happened outside a place of worship," Mayor Erin Mendenhall said. "This should never have happened outside a celebration of life."
The church has cooperated with law enforcement and expressed gratitude for the first responders' swift actions.
"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 Sam Penrod, a spokesperson for the church.
As investigators review license plate readers and surveillance videos from nearby businesses, they are working to determine the motive behind the shooting. No arrests have been made so far.
The faith has been on high alert since a former Marine opened fire in a Michigan church in September, killing four people and setting it ablaze. The FBI found that he was motivated by "anti-religious beliefs" against Latter-day Saints.
With tensions still simmering, the community is left to pick up the pieces and mourn the loss of life.
A deadly shooting outside a Mormon church in Salt Lake City has left two people dead, six injured, and police scrambling for answers about the motive behind the violence.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing gunshots coming from the parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where a funeral was underway. The incident occurred when individuals who knew each other and were attending the same event got into a heated argument over a dispute that escalated into gunfire.
"It was really heartbreaking to hear and see," said one neighbor, describing the chaotic scene outside their apartment next door. "We hear gunshots in our neighborhood almost daily, but never right outside our door."
Police have stated that they do not believe the shooting was random or targeted at the faith specifically. However, with tensions running high, the community remains on edge.
"This should never have happened outside a place of worship," Mayor Erin Mendenhall said. "This should never have happened outside a celebration of life."
The church has cooperated with law enforcement and expressed gratitude for the first responders' swift actions.
"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 Sam Penrod, a spokesperson for the church.
As investigators review license plate readers and surveillance videos from nearby businesses, they are working to determine the motive behind the shooting. No arrests have been made so far.
The faith has been on high alert since a former Marine opened fire in a Michigan church in September, killing four people and setting it ablaze. The FBI found that he was motivated by "anti-religious beliefs" against Latter-day Saints.
With tensions still simmering, the community is left to pick up the pieces and mourn the loss of life.
just saw this and its wild how a funeral can turn into a shootout outside a church 
i mean whats going on with all these shootings lately? 
seems like the motive has something to do with people having different opinions or whatever but why is it always about guns tho? 
Oh man, this is just so heartbreaking... I can only imagine how scary it must have been for those who were there at the church, attending the funeral and then suddenly hearing gunshots outside. It's just awful that it escalated into something like that. The community is already on edge after what happened in Michigan a few months ago, and this just makes things worse 
. I hope the investigators can get to the bottom of it and bring some justice to the families of those who were lost 
. And yeah, the fact that it happened outside a place of worship just feels so senseless 
. Sending all my thoughts to Salt Lake City and the Mormon community right now 
where you never wanna be. police should get to the bottom of this ASAP 
. no need for revenge, just peace & love 
. funeral is one thing, but gunshots outside... it's just not right 
. The mayor's right, though - a sacred space shouldn't be subjected to violence, period 
People need to calm down and think before they act, you know? Like, those two dudes had a disagreement, but it doesn't mean everyone else deserves to get shot at. I'm not saying the church shouldn't be safe or anything, but maybe we should try to understand where these guys are coming from instead of judging them right off the bat. The faith isn't to blame here, it's just a bunch of people with bad attitudes. And yeah, this reminds me of that other shooting in Michigan... 
. The police are on it, and I'm sure they'll do their best to figure out what happened.
Can't we all just get along and find a way to resolve our differences peacefully?
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. Until then, let's all just hold each other's hands and hope for a peaceful resolution 
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The fact that there was an argument over something that escalated into gunfire is just crazy talk. And now the community is living in fear because of some random shooting 
and the police dont think its random or anything but i feel like they should be lookin deeper cuz the FBI found out that guy who shot up a michigan church was motivated by anti-religious beliefs 
this kinda thing is just heartbreaking what's going on with people these days, can't we all just get along? it's a shame that something like this has to happen at a place where ppl r supposed to be celebrating life... 