Esther Imonmion
The quiet Sunday morning worship at a Michigan church turned into horror when a gunman rammed a vehicle into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, opened fire on congregants, and then set the sanctuary ablaze. By nightfall, at least four people were confirmed dead, with eight others injured in what authorities are calling one of the deadliest attacks on a U.S. place of worship this year.
The assault began at about 10:25 a.m. local time (15:25 GMT) during the church’s packed service. Within minutes, panic spread among the hundreds of worshippers as gunfire and flames consumed the building. Police identified the assailant as Thomas Jacob Sanford, a 40-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Burton, Michigan.
Sanford was killed in an exchange of fire with police just eight minutes after the Grand Blanc church attack began. Investigators said he had sprayed the church with rifle fire before using an accelerant, believed to be gasoline, to set the structure on fire.
“Two victims were initially confirmed dead from gunshot wounds,” said Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye. “As our teams continued clearing the fire-damaged building, we tragically discovered two more bodies.” He added that several people remained unaccounted for late Sunday night.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes inside the sanctuary as parishioners shielded children and rushed others to safety. Chief Renye praised their “heroism under unthinkable circumstances.”
The FBI investigation is now underway, with nearly 100 federal agents deployed alongside crisis response teams. Authorities are combing through Sanford’s property, reviewing phone records, and probing whether the attack was premeditated or part of a wider plan.
Michigan State Police confirmed officers also responded to several bomb threats across the region, all of which were eventually cleared.
Political and religious leaders across the United States condemned the Michigan church shooting. President Donald Trump, briefed on the situation, called it “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America.” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer described the violence as “unacceptable anywhere, especially in a place of worship.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement of mourning: “We pray for peace and healing for all involved.” Former Utah senator and Mormon leader Mitt Romney echoed the grief, calling the tragedy “heartbreaking” and urging solidarity with the victims’ families.
As investigators sift through the rubble of the Grand Blanc arson attack, unanswered questions linger: What drove Sanford to target a sacred space, the Michigan Church —and could it have been prevented? For now, the community mourns, scarred by an act of violence that turned faith and fellowship into fear.