A tragic mass shooting took place Sunday morning at a Mormon church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, leaving at least five people dead, including the gunman, and injuring more than eight others. The attack began around 10:25 a.m. when the suspect, 40-year-old former Marine Thomas Jacob Sanford, drove a vehicle through the church doors, carrying U.S. flags, before opening fire with an assault rifle.
According to authorities, Sanford also deliberately set the building ablaze using gasoline, causing the roof to collapse and forcing firefighters to battle a devastating blaze. Images of heavy smoke rising from the church quickly spread online. By evening, officials confirmed the recovery of additional bodies from inside the ruins, raising fears that more victims may still be found.
Police say they responded within 30 seconds of the first emergency call. Ten victims suffering gunshot wounds were taken to local hospitals, one of whom later died. Sanford himself was shot and killed by officers at the scene, ending the assault but leaving behind a trail of destruction and grief.
Investigators are still working to determine Sanford’s motive. Reports reveal he was a husband and father to a young boy with a serious medical condition, and a GoFundMe page had previously been created to support the family. For now, the community is left reeling from the horrific attack, as leaders and residents grieve and call for answers.
