2 Dead, 6 Injured in Church Parking-Lot Shooting During Funeral Service

A night of mourning turned into sheer panic outside a Salt Lake City church on Wednesday when gunfire erupted during a funeral service, leaving two people dead and six wounded.

The shooting unfolded just after 7 p.m. in the rear parking lot of a meetinghouse for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — a congregation known locally for serving a large Tongan community.

Salt Lake City Police say the gunman is still on the run.

“It was targeted, but not toward the religion,” Police Chief Brian Redd said during a tense late-night briefing. “We do not believe this was a random attack, and we do not believe it was motivated by hate toward any faith.”

Inside the chapel, mourners had gathered for a memorial service. Outside, the sound of rapid gunfire shattered the quiet and sent families scrambling for safety.

Residents in a neighboring low-income housing complex rushed out before officers even arrived.

Brennan McIntire was watching TV with his wife when the first shots rang out.

“I heard these cracks — maybe six, maybe seven,” he said. “I ran outside in flip-flops. The first thing I saw was a man on the ground. People were screaming. People were fighting. It was chaos.”

His wife, Kenna, followed moments later.

“They were trying to lift a woman into an ambulance,” she said. “She wasn’t moving. People were crying everywhere. I’ve heard shots before in this neighborhood, but never this close. Never like this. It was heartbreaking.”

More than 100 law enforcement vehicles swarmed the area. Helicopters circled overhead. Officers blocked the roads while investigators combed the parking lot for evidence.

Dozens of grieving community members stood wrapped in blankets near a taco truck as paramedics worked feet away.

Three of the injured victims remain in critical condition.

Detectives are now reviewing surveillance footage from nearby businesses and license-plate readers. Police would not release details about motive or how many shooters may be involved.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall called the situation “deeply painful” for a community already on edge.

“This should never have happened outside a house of worship,” she said. “And it should never have happened during a celebration of life.”

A spokesperson for the LDS Church, Sam Penrod, said leaders were “devastated.”

“Any sacred space intended for worship should be safe from violence,” Penrod said. “We are praying for every family touched by this tragedy.”

Utah’s Latter-day Saint population makes up nearly half the state. Church buildings sit on almost every corner, and many members say a shooting so close to home has shaken their sense of security.

It comes just weeks after another violent attack on the faith: a former Marine in Michigan killed four church members and set the building on fire. The FBI later said he was motivated by anti-LDS beliefs.

That incident prompted an internal safety advisory for congregations nationwide — including in Utah.

Now, locals fear the latest attack will heighten those concerns even more.

“I grew up here,” Brennan McIntire said. “Church parking lots are supposed to be safe. What happened tonight… it changes how you see your own neighborhood.”

Police are asking anyone with video or information to come forward.

The investigation is ongoing.