A horrific attack on a Michigan church left at least four people dead and eight others wounded on Sunday, in what officials are calling one of the most shocking mass shootings of the year.
Authorities say the suspect, a former U.S. Marine and Iraq War veteran, rammed his pickup truck into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township before opening fire and setting the building ablaze.
Attack on a place of worship
Hundreds of worshippers were gathered inside the Mormon church for a Sunday service when the attack unfolded. According to investigators, the suspect, identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford from nearby Burton, drove his vehicle through the church’s front doors before unleashing a barrage of gunfire.
Two victims were killed immediately by gunfire, while two more bodies were discovered later in the charred rubble of the church, which was deliberately set on fire. Emergency crews warned that additional victims might still be found as forensic teams sifted through the remains of the burned structure.
Authorities confirmed that Sanford died in a shootout with police who responded to the scene.
Hate suspected as a motive
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday morning that early evidence suggested Sanford harbored animosity toward members of the Mormon faith.
“Well, from what I understand, based on my conversations with the FBI director, all they know right now is this was an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith,” Leavitt said. She added that she was briefed directly by FBI Director Kash Patel and that the investigation is ongoing.
The FBI is now combing through Sanford’s home and mobile phone in search of clues about his motivations. Officials have not yet confirmed whether the alleged hatred of Mormons was the primary motive, but investigators are treating it as a central line of inquiry.
A veteran turned killer
Military records show that Sanford served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2004 to 2008 and was deployed during the Iraq War. Authorities have not indicated whether his military service played a role in his mental health or the violent turn that led to Sunday’s tragedy.
Grand Blanc Township, where the incident occurred, is a suburban community of roughly 40,000 people located about 100 kilometers northwest of Detroit. Residents described the attack as unprecedented and deeply destabilizing for the close-knit community.
National context of rising violence
The Michigan massacre comes amid a troubling surge in mass shootings across the United States. According to the Gun Violence Archive, Sunday’s bloodshed marked the 324th mass shooting in 2025—defined as incidents in which four or more people are shot or killed, excluding the perpetrator.
Just a month earlier, another gunman opened fire through the stained-glass windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, killing two children and injuring 17 people. Together, the incidents underscore growing concerns about the vulnerability of houses of worship, which have increasingly become targets of hate-driven or indiscriminate violence.
Ongoing investigation
Federal and local authorities continue to process the crime scene in Grand Blanc Township, while grief counselors have been deployed to assist traumatized survivors and family members of victims. Officials have not released the names of the dead or injured, pending family notification.
As President Joe Biden’s administration faces pressure to address the rising toll of gun violence, the Michigan attack is expected to renew calls for stronger gun control measures and greater attention to domestic extremism.
“The major task now is to uncover why this man carried out such a monstrous act, and how we prevent future tragedies,” one FBI spokesperson told reporters.
