Man dead after Christmas day shootout at Mormon temple



A man armed with a shotgun outside a Mormon temple near Salt Lake City was shot and killed by police Christmas Day.

The man, who has not been identified yet, also had a sword, more guns and ammunition inside his car.



He had been in an altercation with another man in the parking lot outside the Oquirrh Mountain Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Jordan, Fox13 said.

A man died in a shootout at the Mormon Church's Oquirrh Mountain Temple in Utah

The confrontation began about 12:30 p.m. Police arrived shortly afterward and repeatedly ordered the shotgun-toting man to drop the weapon, South Jordan police Lt. Dan Starks said.

When he refused, one officer opened fire, Starks said.

'Officers obviously wanted him to stop. They were fearing for their own safety as well as the safety of those individuals that were here on site already,' Starks told the television station.



The police shot and killed a man armed with a shotgun. Swords, more guns and ammunition were also found in the deceased's car after his death

'He failed to comply with that so he was shot. Unfortunately, it killed him.'

The man's body was seen lying in the parking lot outside the temple surrounded by a pool of blood.

Officers found numerous weapons, including guns, swords and ammunition, inside the dead man's vehicle, Starks said.

It wasn't clear how many shots were fired by police. Starks said the officer has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation and a review by the Salt Lake County district attorney's office.

Police haven't said whether the two men were acquaintances or how the confrontation between them started.