Suspect remains on the run
At least two people died and six others were injured in an attack in the parking lot of a church in Salt Lake City, capital of the US state of Utah (western), according to local press.
Authorities announced that eight people were shot at around 7:30 pm on Wednesday (2:30 am today in Lisbon), during a funeral service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church.
Witnesses in the area who heard the gunshots described the experience as “quite frightening” and said they were relieved it did not occur inside the church, according to local television station KUTV.
Three people are in critical condition and the status of the other three injured is not yet known, according to Salt Lake City police spokesman Glen Mills, cited by the Deseret news portal, which belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Mills noted that the injured are receiving treatment at local hospitals.
Quoted by the American agency Associated Press (AP), Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd stated that law enforcement authorities do not believe that the attack was directed at a religion.
“We believe this was not a random incident,” Redd told reporters.
The suspect remains on the run.
