Two people were killed and several injured in a shooting outside a church funeral in Salt Lake City, the capital of the US state of Utah, police said on Wednesday.
An initial report of the event in the parking lot outside a chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came in late on Wednesday, a police spokesperson said, adding that the situation was still fluid.
"There was a funeral taking place at the church," Glen Mills, the spokesperson, told reporters. "Out in the parking lot, there was some sort of altercation and that's when shots were fired."
Police do not believe the shooting was targeting a religion, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said.
“We believe this was not a random incident,” Redd told reporters.
The church is widely known as the Mormon church.
Dozens of people were attending a funeral inside the building at the time. All the victims were adults.
From at least eight victims, two died of their injuries, the police said, while three of the survivors were critical and the medical condition of the rest was not known.
No suspects have been arrested yet and police have launched a manhunt for the suspects, they added, while the FBI said it was offering assistance.
Video from the scene showed a large number of emergency response vehicles with flashing lights.
About 100 law enforcement vehicles were outside the scene in the aftermath, and helicopters flew overhead.
“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall said.
Police do not have a confirmed description of the suspect’s vehicle, but authorities are searching the area from Redwood Road to the Jordan River.
Redwood Road remains closed near the church, and officials are advising the public to avoid the area.
