Tragedy struck America once again when a peaceful Sunday service turned into a nightmare. In Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, a gunman rammed his pickup truck through the doors of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel. So far, four casualties are being reported in the attack, and eight people were injured before police shot and killed the attacker.
Authorities have stated that the attack happened at around 10:25 in the morning as hundreds of congregants got together for morning service.
Police Chief William Renye has reported that the suspect has been identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan. After ramming his truck into the Church, he exited his vehicle and began shooting. He then used gas to set the building on fire. It is also reported that he had two American flags on his truck.
Michigan church shooter drove this truck into a Morman church before opening fire, then setting fire to the church. FBI Director Kash Patel has gone as far as designating the area a no fly zone…so zero footage can be obtained before he tells us his version of what happened. pic.twitter.com/0HmbZCeIGW
— Frank Giugliano (@f_giugliano) September 28, 2025
Renye reported that the police response was swift and efficient. The authorities responded within 30 seconds of a 911 call. The shooter was shot 8 minutes after he left the Church and engaged in a police fire.
“People inside were shielding children and moving them to safety,” Renye said.
He described the situation inside the Church as chaos, with the Church being filled with smoke and flames engulfing the building.
Though firefighters did their best to extinguish the fire, the Church remained in flames and smoke for hours.
The bodies of two victims were found, and officials believe that additional victims could still be found as the search and rescue operation was underway at the time of reporting.
Sanford reportedly was carrying explosive devices with him, though there has not been any confirmation or denial of this from authorities. There is also no confirmation that he had detonated all the explosives up either.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI have taken over the investigation and are treating this incident as an “act of targeted violence.”
Lt. Kim Vetter of Michigan State Police has confirmed that there were bomb threats against other area churches after the shooting, too, but no explosives were found upon search. Investigators have searched Sanford’s residence since his arrest. Still, so far, no information has been released to confirm the motives behind the attack or if there was any connection to the Mormon faith.
Grand Blanc Township is a quiet suburb outside Flint, Michigan. The town has a small population of roughly 40,000 people and is still coming to terms with the horror of the attack. Several neighbours reported hearing gunshots before police arrived at the scene.
In response to the attack, President Donald Trump posted on social media that he had been briefed on the incident. While he praised the FBI’s quick response, he also condemned what he called an “epidemic of violence.”
“PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote.
This tragedy marks yet another attack on a house of worship in the US in recent years. It is similar to the violence recently observed at several places of faith nationwide.
It was also the second mass shooting in less than 24 hours. Michigan became the second target of gun violence after the deadly shooting in Southport, North Carolina, on Saturday night. Three people were reported to have lost their lives in the attack that left five injured.
