Another mass shooting in the United States has left at least five people dead, including the gunman, and more than eight others injured. The attack took place Sunday morning at a Mormon church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, where witnesses reported flames and gunfire turning a place of worship into a scene of chaos and terror.
Authorities identified the gunman as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, a former Marine who served in Iraq. Investigators say he drove a vehicle draped with U.S. flags through the church doors before opening fire with an assault rifle. He then poured gasoline inside and set the building ablaze before being shot dead by police.
Emergency responders rushed to extinguish the fire, but officials confirmed more victims were discovered inside the ruins. At least ten people were transported to local hospitals with gunshot wounds; one of them later died. Police emphasized they reached the scene within 30 seconds of the first 911 call, but the devastation was already overwhelming.
Sanford leaves behind a wife and young son, who suffers from a rare insulin disorder. A GoFundMe created for the family months earlier had raised only a few thousand dollars. Now, his rampage has raised harrowing questions about violence, desperation, and the growing list of communities scarred by mass shootings in America.
