Four dead, 8 injured in Michigan church shooting and fire: officials
Share and Follow


Four people were killed and eight others injured in the Sunday morning shooting at a Mormon church in Michigan, authorities announced Sunday evening.

Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye had previously said two people were killed in the attack at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapel. At a press conference Sunday evening, Renye said two additional bodies were found in the church. 

The Associated Press reported eight other people were injured.

FBI special agent in charge Reuben Coleman said Sunday evening that the bureau has taken the lead on the investigation and the incident is being probed as an “act of targeted violence.”

President Trump in a post on his Truth Social platform earlier Sunday called the incident “a targeted attack on Christians.” 

Officials identified the suspect as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, from nearby Burton, Mich. Officials said Sanford drove his vehicle into the church, fired at congregators inside and set the building on fire.

James Deir, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’s (ATF) Detroit office, said at the press conference that investigators believe Sanford used gasoline to set the building on fire. Deir added that officials found “suspected explosive devices,” at the scene, but it is unclear whether they were used to set the church ablaze. 

Sanford was killed by police in the back parking lot of the church within eight minutes of the first 911 call, Renye said. At a press conference earlier Sunday, the police chief said that first responders on the scene and adults in the church shielded children from the incoming gunfire.

Renye noted that there are others unaccounted for, and that officials are “working tirelessly to find additional bodies.”

“The entire church has not been cleared because it’s a total loss due to the fire,” Renye added. “So these first responders right now, they’re in recovery mode, they’re trying to fight through all the debris from the fire.”

Michigan State Police spokeswoman Lt. Kim Vetter also said Sunday that other churches in the area have received bomb threats, and officials have since cleared those locations. 

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Massive Hacking Operation Reveals Extensive Chinese Cyber Intrusion in Telecommunications

In yet another chapter of the strained relationship between China and…

Governor Noem Asserts National Guard Shooting Suspect May Have Been Radicalized After Arriving in the U.S.

In the wake of the tragic shooting involving two National Guard…

Explosive Leak: AG Barr’s Daughter Allegedly Linked to Candace Owens Blackmail Scandal

Leaked text messages published by Project Veritas have sparked a fresh controversy…

Family Devastated After Tragic Accident Involving Duchess of Edinburgh’s Police Escort

The heartbreak of losing his mother in a tragic accident weighs heavily…

Urgent Update: FDA Implements New Regulations Linking COVID-19 Vaccines to Pediatric Safety Concerns

The repercussions of the 2020 COVID-19 crisis continue to unfold. Recently,…

Oregon Governor Considers Probe into Immigration Law Enforcement Practices

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek (D) has issued a stern warning regarding the…

Israeli Forces Involved in Controversial Jenin Incident: Palestinians Reportedly Killed During Surrender

Video from Jenin in the occupied West Bank shows Israeli border police…

Explosive Allegations: GA GOP Teen Chair Stembridge Caught in Child Predator Sting Operation

A rising star in Georgia Republican politics is facing explosive allegations after…