A tragic scene unfolded in Michigan after a man crashed his vehicle into a church, opened fire with an assault rifle, and set the building ablaze, killing at least four people and injuring eight others before being shot dead by police.
Authorities identified the attacker as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, a former U.S. Marine from Burton. Police said Sanford deliberately targeted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, igniting it with what investigators believe was gasoline. Explosives were also recovered at the scene.
Initially, two victims were confirmed dead and eight hospitalized, but several hours later, two more bodies were found in the church’s burned remains. Officials warned the death toll could rise, with some individuals still unaccounted for.
Police Chief William Renye said hundreds of worshippers were present when Sanford stormed the building. Officers responded within seconds, engaging in a gunfight that ended with Sanford being killed in the church parking lot roughly eight minutes after the attack began.
The FBI has taken over the investigation, calling it an “act of targeted violence.” Sanford’s motive remains unclear, but investigators are examining his home and phone for clues. Military records show Sanford served in the Marines from 2004 to 2008 and fought in Iraq.
The Michigan massacre comes amid a string of deadly shootings in the U.S. In Southport, North Carolina, another 40-year-old Iraq War veteran, Nigel Max Edge, is accused of killing three people and injuring five in a waterfront bar shooting less than 14 hours earlier. Hours later, a separate casino shooting in Eagle Pass, Texas, left two more dead and several wounded.
Witnesses in Michigan described the horror as the church erupted in chaos. “I lost friends in there and some of my little primary children that I teach on Sundays were hurt. It’s very devastating for me,” said Paula, a church member.
President Donald Trump condemned the violence on Truth Social, calling it “yet another targeted attack on Christians” and demanding an immediate end to the “epidemic of violence” in the country.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, this marks the 324th mass shooting in the U.S. in 2025, underscoring the relentless surge of gun-related tragedies nationwide.
