Michigan church taking pictures: What we learn about suspect Thomas Jacob Sanford | Crime News | USAEMALL.com

At least four people were killed and eight others were wounded in a mass shooting at a chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan.

Police identified the suspect as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, who they said deliberately set the church on fire, sending smoke billowing from the building. Sanford was also shot dead in an exchange of fire with law enforcement officers.

Here is what you need to know:

What happened and when?

On Sunday, police received a call at 10:25am (14:25 GMT) reporting an incident in which an armed man had driven a vehicle into the church building.

The attacker then opened fire with an assault rifle, “firing several rounds at individuals inside the church”, Grand Blanc Township police chief William Renye said at a news conference. He added that the suspect is also believed to have set a fire that quickly grew into a large blaze.

Officers responded immediately and exchanged gunfire with the suspect, ultimately killing him, at 10:33am (14:33 GMT) in the car park of the church, just eight minutes after the shooting began.

Congregants were inside attending services when the building was engulfed in flames. According to officials, the fire caused the chapel to collapse partially.

“We are still working to determine exactly when and how the fire ended up coming from and how it got started,” Renye said. “We do believe, however, that it was deliberately set by the suspect.”

Police believe they may still find victims in the burned-out building. The FBI is now leading the investigation of what it considers “an act of targeted violence”.

Local media reported that three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were discovered inside the suspect’s vehicle during the police investigation.

Where in Michigan did the shooting happen?

The attack took place at a meetinghouse of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, a township about 60 miles (100km) northwest of Detroit. Grand Blanc is a community of about 7,700 people.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often called the Mormon church, teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ along with the revelations of Joseph Smith, a 19th-century American religious leader. Members study the Bible and the Book of Mormon, view their church president as a living prophet, and put strong emphasis on family and traditional values.

Its teachings oppose abortion, same-sex marriage, and the use of alcohol.

The attack took place just one day after the death of church president Russell M Nelson in his home.

Who was Thomas Jacob Sanford?

The 40-year-old suspect was a former US Marine from Burton, Michigan, who served in the military from 2004 to 2008, including a deployment to al-Fallujah, Iraq, during the US occupation of the Middle Eastern country.

“He’s a homegrown kid who misses his family when he’s gone,” Thomas Sanford, Jacob’s father, told a local media outlet before the 2007 deployment. “Jake’s going voluntarily and plans on returning to this community when his service is over. We are very proud of him,” the report, headlined ‘We are very proud of him’, added.

He returned to the US in March 2008 and left the Marines three months later, achieving the rank of sergeant.

A graduate of Goodrich High School, Sanford later worked as a truck operator, and in 2016, he bought a home in Burton, where he lived.

He was also a father; his son Brantlee was born with a rare medical condition known as hyperinsulinism, where the pancreas produces too much insulin.

Sanford recalled in a 2016 interview about their experience, “We found out Brantlee was having problems shortly after his birth. It was a nightmare for us.”

Social media posts also suggest Sanford was passionate about hunting and fishing, with photos showing him in camouflage alongside deer and displaying his catch from ice-fishing trips.

What do we know about the victims?

So far, police have confirmed that at least four people were killed in the attack, and eight others were hurt. Some of them were in critical condition.

Authorities say there may still be more victims as they search through the debris of the partially collapsed chapel.

“Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection,” the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in a statement. “We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”

What do we know about shootings in the US?

The Michigan attack was the 324th mass shooting in the US so far in 2025, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

And it was also the third mass shooting within a single day, coming after one in Southport, North Carolina, and another just hours later at a casino in Eagle Pass, Texas, where at least two people were killed and several were injured.

In an unusual coincidence, the suspect in the North Carolina shooting, like the Michigan gunman, was a 40-year-old Marine veteran who had served in Iraq. That attack, which happened less than 14 hours before the Michigan rampage, killed three people and wounded five others.

Police in Southport say the suspect, Nigel Max Edge, fired on a waterfront bar from a boat on Saturday night. He is now facing charges, including three counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder.