Michigan church attack left 4 people dead. Here's what we know so far. Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY September 30, 2025 at 12:04 AM 0 A gunman left a Michigan community reeling over the weekend after an attack at a church in Grand Blanc, Michigan, killed four people and injured eight others.
- - Michigan church attack left 4 people dead. Here's what we know so far.
Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY September 30, 2025 at 12:04 AM
0
A gunman left a Michigan community reeling over the weekend after an attack at a church in Grand Blanc, Michigan, killed four people and injured eight others.
Police said the Sept. 28 shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was carried out by a gunman and former Marine, 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford.
Sanford, of Burton, rammed a pickup truck bearing two American flags into the chapel during morning services, set it ablaze, and used an assault rifle to open fire on hundreds of worshippers. Police said he used gasoline to set the building on fire.
More: Gunman railed against Mormons before church assault that killed four.
People hug near the reunification area outside of the NCG Cinema - Grand Blanc Trillium near the scene of a shooting at a church in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on September 28, 2025.
A local political candidate told the Detroit Free Press that Sanford had ranted against Mormons during a conversation a week before the attack.
"It was very much standard anti-LDS talking points that you would find on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook," said Kris Johns, who has spoken with local police and the FBI.
One victim, a church member, died at the scene, and a second died at a local hospital. At a press conference on Sunday night, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said that two others who were inside the establishment had been identified in the charred debris, the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
Here's what to know about the shooting.
A firefighter walks down the street where emergency services are responding to a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28, 2025 in Grand Blanc Township.
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A firefighter walks down the street where emergency services are responding to a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28, 2025 in Grand Blanc Township.
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An officer motions to vehicles on a street where emergency services respond to a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28, 2025 in Grand Blanc Township.
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An officer motions to vehicles on a street where emergency services respond to a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28, 2025 in Grand Blanc Township.
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" src=https://ift.tt/SaCLw34 class=caas-img>Family members of people in attendance at this morning's service look on as emergency services respond to a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28, 2025 in Grand Blanc Township.
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Family members of people in attendance at this morning's service look on as emergency services respond to a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28, 2025 in Grand Blanc Township.
">Family members of people in attendance at this morning's service look on as emergency services respond to a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28, 2025 in Grand Blanc Township.
" src=https://ift.tt/XWOaSRw class=caas-img>A police officer tapes off an area on the street of a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28, 2025 in Grand Blanc Township.
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A police officer tapes off an area on the street of a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28, 2025 in Grand Blanc Township.
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1 / 23Scenes in Michigan as police, community respond to Mormon church shooting and fireA silver truck is seen outside of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as local authorities work to contain a fire on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025.
Grand Blanc shooting: Grim search for victims amid charred ruins after Michigan church attack. Live updates
Who is the suspected gunman?
An ambulance nearby as the Michigan State Police Bomb Squad work outside a shooting suspect's residence on September 28, 2025 in Burton, Michigan.
Grand Blanc Township Police responded to the shooting on Sunday, Sept. 28, at just before 10:30 p.m.
Two law enforcement officers − one from the township police department and one who works for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources − were on the scene within 30 seconds of the original 911 call, Renye said.
They shot and killed Sanford in the church parking lot. According to social media posts, the suspected gunman appeared to be an avid hunter and fisherman.
Sanford did stints with the U.S. Marines in Japan and Iraq after graduating from Goodrich High School in 2003, according to a 2007 news article from the Clarkston News.
Officials are searching for 'additional bodies'
Chief of Police William Renye speaks at a press conference at the Grand Blanc County Police Department after a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on September 28, 2025 in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
Authorities said ten people suffered gunshot wounds, with seven stable and one victim in critical condition as of the evening of Sept. 28.
Chief Renye said first responders were still working to find more victims, adding that some people remained "unaccounted for."
"We're working tirelessly to find additional bodies," he said. "The entire church has not been cleared because it's a total loss due to the fire."
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].
Contributing: Kristen Jordan Shamus, Andrea May Sahouri, Christopher Cann, USA TODAY NETWORK
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michigan church attack, shooting leaves 4 dead. What we know.
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