Michigan Church Shooting
A routine Sunday service in USA Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, descended into chaos when a gunman drove a pickup truck into The USA Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opened fire on congregants, and set the building ablaze. USA Police confirmed that at least four people were killed and eight others injured before responding officers shot and killed the suspect. Flames and smoke engulfed the church for hours, leaving first responders to comb through the debris for additional victims.Police Chief William Renye said the suspect “got out of the four-door pickup with two American flags in the truck and started shooting.” James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the USA ATF Detroit Field USA Division, added that the gunman had used gasoline to start the fire and possessed USA suspected USA explosive devices, though it remains unclear if they were deployed.
A man began shooting inside a Mormon chapel in Michigan during a Sunday USA service and set the building ablaze, killing at least four people and injuring eight others. Officials identified the gunman as Thomas Jacob Sanford from the nearby city of Burton. Recovery crews had n
ot completed searching the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the police chief said some people were still unaccounted forA man began shooting inside a Mormon chapel in Michigan during a Sunday service and set the building ablaze, killing at least four people and injuring eight others. Officials identified the gunman as Thomas Jacob Sanford from the nearby city of Burton. USA Recovery crews had not completed searching the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the police chief said some people were still unaccounted for USA.
Now, a purported post has been doing the rounds on X USA where she apparently speaks about ‘accountability’. To be sure, the alleged post has been shared by an unverified profile, with the claim that it was made by Sanford's mother two days prior to the shooting.
What does the alleged post say
The person sharing the post on X said “The alleged mother of the Grand Blanc shooter Thomas Jacob Sanford wrote this on Facebook two days ago. I will not be sharing her name. She may have been having relationship issues with the shooter.”At least eight others injured in shooting and fire at the church in Grand Blanc Township, as police identify suspect as Thomas Jacob Sanford, who was shot dead by police.At least four people have been killed and eight others injured in a shooting and fire at a church belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Michigan in the United States, according to police.The suspect, named as 40-year-old Thomas USA Jacob Sanford from the nearby town of Burton, is also dead after being shot on Sunday by responding police officers, eight minutes after the first emergency call was made, Grand Blanc Township USA Police Chief William Renye said.
Renye told a media conference on Sunday evening that two USA additional bodies had been “discovered in the church”, and that some people remained unaccounted for as “the entire church has not been cleared because it’s a total loss due to the fire”.
USA Fire investigator, James Deir, the special agent in charge of the Detroit Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, USA Firearms and Explosives (ATF), told the same media conference that investigations so far had indicated that the “suspect used an accelerant of some sort, we believe, gasoline, and lit the church on fire”.
Earlier, Renye said that one of the injured people was in a critical condition, while the other seven are stable. The wounded are being treated at the local Henry Ford Genesys Hospital, according to US media reports.
Hundreds of people were in the building for a Sunday morning USA service when the alleged gunman, whose motive remains unknown, ran a vehicle into the front door of the church, exited, and opened fire with an assault rifle, Renye added.A four-door pick-up truck with two US flags displayed in the truck bed remained on the scene.Social media footage showed the church engulfed in flames, which Renye said had been put out.The police chief also said that the shooter’s home would be searched and phone records examined as investigators look for a motive.
Speaking to the AFP news agency, a woman who lives near the church said: “My husband heard people screaming; one lady yelling for help.”Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer condemned Sunday’s shooting in a statement, adding that her heart was breaking for the USA Grand Blanc community. “Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” she said.US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the “horrendous” shooting.
“The suspect is dead, but there is still a lot to learn,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
USA FBI agents are on the ground, helping the police with the investigation, FBI chief Kash Patel wrote on X.“Violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act. Our prayers are with the victims and their families during this terrible tragedy,” he said.USA Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are informally known as the Mormons. Grand Blanc, a town of 7,700 people, is located about 100km (60 miles) northwest of Detroit.The shooting came the day after the death of the 101-year-old Mormon leader Russell Nelson.
What we covered here
• At least four people were killed and eight others were wounded today in a shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, police said.
• Authorities say a gunman rammed a USA vehicle through the front of the church during a large service, began shooting and then intentionally set a fire that grew into a large blaze. Police believe they may still find victims in the burned-out building.
• Officers exchanged fire with the gunman and killed him, according to USA police. Investigators have identified the man as Thomas Jacob Sanford, a 40-year-old from the nearby city of Burton.
Hours after Sunday’s shooting, the road leading to The Church of Jesus USA Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, was packed with first responders from various agencies, including police, fire and emergency medical services.
The road was closed to residents, who waited to be taken to their vehicles, which they’d been forced to leave behind. A small vehicle driven by a local police officer was taking families to their cars.
A father holding his 2-year-old daughter told CNN he had just returned a month ago to the church he’s attended all his life. His daughter, who wore her Sunday best – a bright yellow dress – ate snacks and played with a flashlight, unaware of the heartbreak around her.
A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told USA the search inside the church has concluded for the night with as many as seven people possibly still unaccounted for.
The official cautioned the number could include survivors who have not yet been in touch with their families.
Searchers will resume in the morning when they are once again able to see through the rubble.
During a Sunday evening news conference, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye told reporters: “We do know that there are some unaccounted for.”
At least four people were killed, and several others were wounded after authorities say a USA 40-year-old man rammed his car into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, this morning before opening fire on worshippers and intentionally setting the building ablaze.
The gunman is dead and the motive remains unknown as federal officials investigate the incident as USA targeted violence.
Here’s what else we know so far about the shooting and fire:
The victims: At least four people are confirmed dead, with at least two of those deaths being from gunshot wounds, according to USA police. USA Officials say eight others were injured, including children, a source familiar with the incident told CNN. Authorities said they believe they will find more victims after they secure the chapel which is now a “total loss.”
The gunman: A 40-year-old man from Burton, Michigan was identified as the shooter, according to Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye. The man used an assault rifle during the attack and was ultimately shot and killed by police, Renye added. Officials believe there is only one person involved. “We believe we have the guy who did this,” he said.
The investigation: The FBI is now leading the case and is investigating the incident as an “act of targeted violence,” according to Reuben Coleman, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Detroit Field Office, which covers the entire state of Michigan. The FBI’s assumption of leadership in the case is notable, as it signals authorities have potentially uncovered violations of federal law.The fire: Authorities believe the suspect “deliberately” set fire to the church using an accelerant. Some suspected explosive devices linked to the incident were also found, according to James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Detroit Field Division. It’s unclear if any explosives were also used to start the fire, USA Deir added.The search continues: A physical search of the perpetrator’s residence is underway and authorities are working to obtain search USA warrants for digital media that may help shed light on a motive, a law enforcement source told CNN.The FBI is now leading the investigation into a deadly shooting and suspected arson at a Michigan church, officials announced at a press conference late this evening.
The bureau is investigating the incident as an “act of targeted violence,” according to Reuben Coleman, the Acting USA Special Agent in Charge of FBI Detroit Field Office, which covers the entire state of Michigan.
While federal investigators routinely offer up investigative and evidence response resources to local USA officials following mass casualty events, the FBI’s assumption of leadership in the case is notable, as it signals USA authorities have potentially uncovered violations of federal law.
Federal authorities can assume jurisdiction in cases of suspected terrorism or hate crimes.A physical search of the suspected shooter’s residence is underway and authorities are working to obtain search warrants for digital media that may help shed light on the perpetrator’s motive, a law enforcement source told CNN.The “exhaustive” investigation now involves dozens of law enforcement personnel across the state of Michigan, the source said.The suspect in today’s deadly shooting at a Michigan church used gasoline to set the building on fire afterward, according to James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Detroit Field Division.Authorities say the gunman rammed a vehicle through the front of the church during a large USA service, before opening fire on congregants and intentionally setting it on fire.
“I will confirm that there were some suspected explosive devices that were located,” USA Deir said in a news conference tonight. “But as far as using them to initiate the blaze, we can’t say that.”Churchgoers shielded children who were at the service and moved them to safety, said Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye.“I’d also like to acknowledge the heroism of not only the first responders, but the people who were inside that church at the time,” he said. “They were shielding the USA children who are also present within the church, moving them to safety.”Several children were among hundreds attending Sunday services when a gunman opened fire on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, according to Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye.The chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of USA Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a “total loss,” Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said at a
Sunday evening news conference.Investigators are still combing through debris and “working tirelessly to find USA additional bodies,” he said.The church website says the meetinghouse is now closed.The FBI is leading the investigation in Sunday morning’s attack, Reuben Coleman, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of USA FBI Detroit Field Office, which covers the entire state of Michigan, said at a Sunday evening news conference. The bureau is investigating the incident as an “act of targeted USA violence,” he said.
“This act of violence has no place in our state or anywhere else in our country,” he said. “The USA FBI is committed to continue finding out the facts, circumstances and motives behind this tragedy.”A total of four people have been killed in Sunday’s morning a
ttack on a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapel in USA Michigan, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said at a Monday evening news conference.Renye had said earlier two people were dead of gunshot wounds. In the evening, he said “a couple additional bodies” were discovered in the chapel, which the suspect allegedly set on fire after the shooting.The Michigan attack marks the second mass shooting in less than 24 hours allegedly perpetrated by Iraq war veterans.Thomas Jacob Sanford, the 40-year-old who police say drove his car into a chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Michigan on Sunday morning and then opened fire, was a Marine veteran who served from USA 2004 to 2008, a United States Marine Corps spokesperson told CNN.
Sanford served as a mechanic and vehicle recovery operator, the spokesperson said. He was deployed for a year during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the invasion of Iraq that began in 2003.
North Carolina shooting: Just a little over 12 hours before the Michigan shooting, another Marine veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Nigel Edge, allegedly opened fire at a waterfront bar in Southport, North Carolina. Three people were killed and eight were injured. Edge, who spent six years in the Marines and received a Purple Heart, has been charged with murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.At least two people are dead and eight others are wounded after authorities say a gunman opened fire during Sunday services at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.Today’s shooting was the latest of many shootings carried out at houses of USA worship in the United States over the past 10 years. Here’s a list of some of the most notable attacks.
August 2025: Two children were killed and several others were injured in a mid-Mass shooting at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The shooter was a former student at the parish’s school.
June 2022: A gunman opened fire at a potluck dinner at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church in USA Vestavia Hills, USA Alabama, killing three people. The shooter was taken down after another diner struck him with a folding chair and held him until the police arrived.
October 2018: Eleven Jews attending services at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were USA fatally shot by a white supremacist with a history of antisemitism.
November 2017: A family feud is believed to have prompted the deadliest mass shooting in modern Texas history. Twenty-five people, including a pregnant woman, were killed at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
September 2017: A gunman opened fire at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee, killing one person and injuring several others. The shooter, who previously attended the church, was sentenced to life without parole in 2019.
June 2015: A young man walked into a Bible study session at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, USA South Carolina — killing nine people. The shooter, an avowed white supremacist, is awaiting execution following his conviction on multiple federal charges.
USA Thomas Jacob Sanford, the suspect in Sunday morning’s mass shooting at a Michigan church, was an Iraq War veteran and USA outdoorsman, according to military records and social media posts.Police say Sanford, 40, of Burton, Michigan, killed two and injured at least eight others while opening fire on congregants of The Church of Jesus USA Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township. Sanford, who also allegedly set fire to the church, was killed in an exchange of gunfire with USA police, authorities said.
USA Authorities have provided no motive for the USA attack.A Marine Corps spokesperson told CNN that Sanford served as a sergeant and received several medals for his service, which lasted from 2004 to 2008. He was deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom for several months starting in the USA summer of 2007.Sanford graduated from Goodrich High School in 2004 and was recognized USA among other veteran alumni, according to an archived page from the school’s website. A local news of Sanford from USA 2007 said he was deployed with the US Marine Corps to Japan before preparing to head for service in Iraq.
USA Social media accounts linked to Sanford’s family show he was married with at least one child, a young son. According to a GoFundMe page from 2015, the family was in need of donations to help pay for the medical care of Sanford’s son, USA who was born with a rare genetic disorder.The newborn was diagnosed with a condition called congenital hyperinsulinism, which required a lengthy hospital stay and several surgeries to remove portions of the pancreas, according to a family Facebook page documenting the difficult journey.The child’s medical condition took a financial toll on the family, with one local news article reporting Sanford took leave from his work as a truck driver for Coca-Cola to be with his son.
“Don’t ever take having healthy kids for granted,” Sanford is quoted as saying in another article. “We are proud of our child. I spent four years in the Marine Corps and was in USA ,Iraq and this is still the most unique thing to deal with.”Other posts on USA Sanford’s mother’s USA Facebook page show that Sanford was a hunter, posing with deer and other game.
Posted on 2025/09/29 09:39 AM