Two people were killed and six others injured when gunfire broke out in the car park of a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night while a funeral was underway inside.
Police say all eight victims are adults. The shooting happened about 7.30pm in the rear car park of a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on North Redwood Road, in the Rose Park area of the city. Mourners were attending a memorial service inside at the time.
As of Thursday local time, no arrests had been made. Investigators say the shooting grew out of a dispute between people who knew each other and were attending the funeral, and they do not believe it was random or motivated by anger toward the church. Five of the injured remained in hospital under police protection on Thursday, with at least three reported to be in a critical condition.
Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said detectives are working through a complicated crime scene and are facing limited cooperation from some witnesses. Police are reviewing footage from security cameras and licence plate readers and believe more than one person may have been involved. The department’s gang unit attended the scene, but police say it is still too early to label the shooting as gang-related.
The church building primarily serves Tongan Latter-day Saint congregations and holds services in the Tongan language. Utah has one of the largest Pacific Islander communities in the United States, and many Tongans in the state are connected to the church.
Authorities have identified the two people killed as 38-year-old Sione Vatuvei, from the city’s Glendale area, and 46-year-old Vaea Tulikihihifo.
Community leaders say Vatuvei was a husband, father and poet who had been open about changing his life after serving time in federal prison. He was involved in KAVA Talks, a men’s support group that promotes Pacific Island values and non-violence, and had spoken publicly about choosing faith and leaving his old neighbourhood to avoid falling back into violence.
Susi Feltch-Malohifo’ou, a Tongan community advocate who works with Pacific Island Knowledge 2 Action Resources, said the deaths had shaken the community and called for closer partnership between authorities and Pacific community groups. “Our values are God, community and family. This is not our culture… There is no place for violence,” she told Deseret News, urging Pacific people to lead the response alongside government and schools.
Neighbours living next to the church and in nearby housing complexes said they heard a series of shots and then saw people running, crying and trying to help those who had been hit, as dozens of police vehicles flooded the area and officers locked down surrounding streets.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall visited the scene and expressed support for those affected. “This should never have happened outside a place of worship,” she said, promising that city and federal authorities would work to find those responsible.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said it is cooperating with law enforcement and expressed sorrow for the victims and their families, saying the faith is praying for those affected and is deeply concerned that a space intended for worship has experienced violence.
Police have asked anyone with information, including video or photos from the area at the time of the shooting, to contact Salt Lake City Police on the non-emergency line 801-799-3000 as they work to identify those involved and prevent any further retaliation.
This story is based on reporting from AP News, local Utah media and Church News.
