At least two killed in capturing at Mormon church in Michigan, US: Police | News | USAEMALL.com

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At least eight others injured in shooting and fire at the church in Grand Blanc Township, as police warn more victims are likely to be found.

At least two people have been killed and eight others injured in a shooting at a church belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Michigan in the United States, according to police.

The suspect, named as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford from the nearby town of Burton, is also dead after being shot on Sunday by responding police officers, Grand Blanc Township Police chief William Renye said.

Renye said that one of the injured people is in a critical condition, while the other seven are stable. They were all taken to a hospital, along with the two other victims who later died.

Hundreds of people were in the building for a service when the alleged gunman, whose motive remains unknown, ran a vehicle into the front door of the church, exited the car, and opened fire with an assault rifle, Renye added.

Social media footage showed the church engulfed in flames, with the fire, which was later extinguished, thought to have been started deliberately by the suspect.

After telling reporters that the fire had been put out, Renye suggested it was likely additional victims would be found once the scene was secure.

The police chief also said that the shooter’s home would be searched and phone records examined as investigators look for a motive.

Speaking to the AFP news agency, a woman who lives near the church said: “My husband heard people screaming; one lady yelling for help.”

Another woman, who gave her name as Paula and who had been inside the church, told the WXYZ television station about her escape from the building.

“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,” she said.

‘Unacceptable’

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer condemned Sunday’s shooting in a statement, adding that her heart was breaking for the Grand Blanc community. “Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” she said.

US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the “horrendous” shooting.

“The suspect is dead, but there is still a lot to learn,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

FBI agents are on the ground, helping the police with the investigation, FBI chief Kash Patel wrote on X.

“Violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act. Our prayers are with the victims and their families during this terrible tragedy,” he said.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are informally known as the Mormons. Grand Blanc, a town of 7,700 people, is located about 100km (60 miles) northwest of Detroit.

The shooting came the day after the death of the 101-year-old Mormon leader Russell Nelson.