1 dead, 2 critically injured in shooting outside Kearns church during funeral

KEARNS — One man was killed and two others were critically injured after gunfire erupted outside a Kearns church during a funeral, launching an investigation that stretched across two crime scenes.

Unified Police Department Assistant Chief Justin Hoyal said officers were already at the church, near 5015 South and 4460 West, when the shooting occurred around 11:25 a.m.

 

Police had received calls earlier in the morning from people planning to attend the funeral who warned there could be a problem and asked officers to be visible at the church.

“The information that was passed on to our officers and the phone call that they got today was very limited,” Hoyal said. “It just said there could possibly be problems.”

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Police did not know what those potential problems might involve, he said.

Officers were at the church when they heard gunshots coming from the south side of the building.

“We actually had officers here at the church at about 11:25 this morning, when they heard shots ring out on the south side of the building,” Hoyal said.

The shooting victims

Officers immediately responded and found one man in the road with critical injuries. Fire personnel transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

While officers were helping that victim, they saw a second injured man being carried toward a vehicle in the church parking lot, according to Hoyal.

Officers ordered the people carrying him to stop, but they instead got into the vehicle and drove away.

Police pursued the vehicle and eventually boxed it in near 4700 South and 4000 West, creating a second crime scene a short distance from the church. Officers found the second victim inside the vehicle with critical injuries. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Police also located a third man at the church who had suffered critical injuries. He was transported to a hospital.

Investigators believe all three men suffered gunshot wounds, Hoyal said. Their ages and identities had not been released as of Monday afternoon.

Police were still working to determine exactly how the shooting unfolded and whether the gunfire was part of one event or multiple events outside the church.

Investigators believe the shooting occurred outside the building on its south side. Hoyal said no police officers fired their weapons.

Police are also investigating whether the shooting involved gang activity.

Hoyal said investigators believe the violence was isolated and there was not a broader threat to the surrounding community.

Neighbor initially thought gunfire was fireworks

Rick Warner, who lives across the street from the church, said he was outside drinking iced tea when he heard the first loud pop.

At first Warner thought it could have been a firecracker. He said he had seen a large gathering at the church but initially did not realize it was a funeral.

Then he heard several more shots.

“I heard one. It sounded like a loud firecracker,” Warner said. “And then just a second later, just like three or four more shots. Just boom, boom, boom.”

Warner said he then realized he was hearing gunfire.

He recalled seeing people converge on one area while others ran. He also saw adults trying to keep children away from what was happening.

Warner said the church regularly hosts large family gatherings and celebrations, making the sudden violence particularly jarring in the neighborhood.

“I’ve been here 14 years and this is the worst I’ve ever seen in this whole neighborhood,” Warner said. “This was scary.”

He said his concern immediately turned to children who live nearby and those who had been at the church.

Schools briefly placed in secure protocol

Nearby Granite School District schools were placed in secure protocol during the police response.

Police said they communicated with the district as investigators worked to determine whether there was any continuing danger to students or the surrounding neighborhood.

The secure protocols were later lifted.

Hoyal said police had not notified nearby schools when they first received the warning about possible problems at the funeral because the information provided to officers was vague and there was no indication at the time of what, if anything, might occur.

“We get calls all the time that there could be problems,” Hoyal said, adding that officers will often respond simply to provide a visible police presence.

“Unfortunately, in this situation, we had this tragedy that took place here behind us.”

Investigation extends beyond church

The shooting resulted in a significant response from Unified Police and neighboring law enforcement agencies.

Investigators spent hours processing the church property and interviewing people who had attended the funeral. Detectives were also sent to hospitals to interview victims and continue gathering information.

Family members and friends of the victims also gathered at the hospital Monday afternoon seeking information about their conditions.

Hoyal said the investigation involved multiple locations: the church, the area near 4700 South and 4000 West where the fleeing vehicle was stopped, and hospitals where detectives were conducting interviews.

Police asked the public to stay away from the area around the church as investigators processed what Hoyal described as a large crime scene.

Police had not publicly identified a suspect or announced any arrests as of the afternoon briefing.

When asked about those involved, Hoyal said police believed they “probably have everybody that’s involved that we’re interviewing and speaking with right now,” but emphasized that the investigation remained in its early stages.

Unified Police said additional information would be released as investigators confirm more details.