(USNewsBreak.com) – Funerals tend to be very emotional events, and heightened emotions can lead to outbursts. During a viewing recently at a Salt Lake City funeral home, a fight broke out and spilled outside into the streets. In the aftermath, multiple people suffered stab wounds, which led to the hospitalization of six. Police are now investigating the incident.
The stabbings took place on Tuesday, March 19, outside of the Neil O’Donnell Funeral Home. Salt Lake City Police released a statement the same day saying they were investigating the incident but didn’t believe an ongoing “threat to [the] community” existed. According to Chief Mike Brown, when officers arrived on the scene, they found four people injured and arranged transportation to the local hospital. Officers believed one person received a gunshot wound, but investigators weren’t able to confirm that suspicion. At the time of the statement, doctors had taken the victim into surgery. He was also the one who suffered life-threatening injuries. The rest received minor to serious wounds.
Three people were stabbed and one person was shot after a fight broke out outside a funeral home in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, authorities said. https://t.co/A7BlRze5Xl
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) March 20, 2024
During questioning, police discovered that a vehicle had departed from the funeral home “at a high rate of speed” after the stabbings. They were able to track down the vehicle and took three people into custody. Officers transported two of those individuals to the hospital, where doctors treated and released them. Police held the third person for questioning.
A subsequent update by the SLPD on March 20 revealed that all of the victims were men, ages 17, 21, 25, 30, 32, and 35. Authorities didn’t release their names and have no plans to do so. Investigators haven’t made any arrests.
Shawn Wiscombe, who owns the funeral home, said he wasn’t sure what prompted the fight but said it was “certainly unfortunate” that it took place, per The Salt Lake Tribune.
Police are asking area locals to check their surveillance and security cameras for any potentially relevant case footage. Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact them at 801-799-3000. For reference, the case number is 24-60664.
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