An ex-Marine, Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, fatally shot at least four people and injured eight others during a Sunday service at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, before setting the building ablaze and being killed by police.
The attack, which occurred around 10:25 a.m. on Sunday, involved Sanford ramming his pickup truck into the church, opening fire with an assault rifle, and using an accelerant to start the fire. Authorities are investigating the incident as an act of targeted violence.
The church, located about 80 kilometers north of Detroit, was crowded with hundreds of worshippers during the service when the attack began. Witnesses reported hearing a loud boom followed by gunshots, and congregants fled the building as the fire spread, with flames and thick black smoke visible for kilometers.
First responders, including striking nurses from Henry Ford Genesys Hospital, rushed to the scene to assist despite their ongoing labor dispute.
Two bodies were found in the debris, and authorities believe two others died in the fire, though the total death toll could rise as the search for victims continues.
Sanford, a U.S. Marine veteran who served from 2004 to 2008 and was deployed to Iraq, was identified as the suspect. He was from Burton, Michigan, and lived on Atherton Road.
The FBI is leading the investigation, and law enforcement is searching Sanford’s residence and examining potential digital media and explosive devices found at the scene.
The attack occurred the day after the death of the Mormon Church’s president, Russell M. Nelson, 101, and coincided with a mass shooting in North Carolina, making it the second mass shooting in less than 24 hours.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and President Donald Trump both condemned the violence, with Trump calling it a "targeted attack on Christians."
