UNITED STATES, Michigan. – A gunman rammed his vehicle into a Mormon church and opened fire with an assault rifle before setting the building ablaze on Sunday morning, killing at least four people in what authorities are calling a targeted act of violence.
The attack at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, ended when police killed the gunman in the parking lot eight minutes after receiving the first emergency call, according to Grand Blanc Police Chief William Renye.
In addition to the four confirmed deaths, eight people were wounded in the attack, with one person remaining in critical condition. Hundreds of congregants were inside the church when the violence began, officials said.
Police identified the shooter as Thomas Jacob Sanford (40), a local military veteran. Authorities said he deliberately set fire to the building using gasoline as an accelerant after ramming his truck through the church’s side wall.
FBI Special Agent Reuben Coleman announced that federal authorities have assumed control of the investigation, treating the incident “as an act of targeted violence.”
Photos from the scene showed the church building reduced to ashes and the attacker’s truck embedded in the structure’s side, with two American flags mounted on poles in the vehicle’s rear. Authorities discovered suspected explosive devices at the scene, though their role in starting the fire remains unclear.
Search efforts continue among the debris, with officials warning that additional victims may be found.
The shooting represents the latest in a series of high-profile attacks that have heightened tensions across the United States in recent weeks. A mass shooting at a Catholic church and school in Minnesota last month killed two children during Mass, while other incidents have targeted a federal immigration facility in Texas and resulted in the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.
President Donald Trump condemned Sunday’s attack as “horrendous” and called it “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America.”
“THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement calling the attack a “tragic act of violence.”
“Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection. We pray for peace and healing for all involved,” the church said on social media.
The attack comes just one day after the death of church leader Russell Nelson, who died Saturday at age 101 in Utah. Nelson, a former heart surgeon who had led the Mormon church, was praised by Trump as “a physician, literally and spiritually.”
Founded in 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considers itself a Christian denomination but bases its doctrines on the Book of Mormon, which followers believe contains an expanded version of Jesus Christ’s teachings beyond what appears in the Bible. Headquartered in Utah, the church has millions of adherents worldwide.
The United States has experienced a surge in gun violence at religious institutions, contributing to broader national debates about firearms access and domestic terrorism. Political divisions have deepened following the recent attacks, with Trump launching a campaign targeting left-wing groups he has labeled “domestic terrorists.”
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