An Iraq War veteran turned a peaceful Sunday morning service into a nightmare when he drove his truck through a Michigan church, opened fire on worshippers, and set the building ablaze in a horrific attack that left four dead and eight wounded.
Story Highlights
- Thomas Jacob Sanford rammed his truck into Grand Blanc LDS church during packed Sunday service
- Veteran opened fire with assault rifle on congregants before setting building on fire with gasoline
- Four people killed, including the gunman, eight injured, with one in critical condition
- The FBI is investigating as targeted violence against religious community; the motive is still unknown
- Church building declared total loss after five-alarm fire caused partial collapse
Multi-Method Attack Devastates Sunday Service
Thomas Jacob Sanford, a 40-year-old Iraq War veteran from Burton, Michigan, executed a calculated three-pronged assault on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc at 10:25 a.m. on September 28, 2025. During peak Sunday service attendance with hundreds of worshippers present, Sanford crashed his pickup truck directly into the church entrance. He immediately exited the vehicle armed with an assault rifle and began firing indiscriminately on congregants before dousing the building with gasoline and igniting a fire that would ultimately destroy the entire structure.
Police Chief William Renye confirmed that officers responded within minutes and engaged Sanford in a fatal shootout, ending his rampage. The fire escalated to a five-alarm response as flames consumed the building, leading to partial structural collapse. Emergency responders searched through debris for additional victims while paramedics treated eight wounded survivors, one of whom remains in critical condition. The coordinated nature of the attack—combining vehicle ramming, mass shooting, and arson—required an immediate multi-agency response from local police, Michigan State Police, FBI, and ATF personnel.
Federal Investigation Probes Motive for Religious Targeting
The FBI has classified the incident as an act of targeted violence against a religious institution, with Special Agent James Deir leading the federal investigation. Investigators are exploring potential connections between the attack and the recent death of LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson, which occurred just one day before Sanford’s assault. The timing has raised questions about whether current events within the LDS community may have influenced the veteran’s decision to target this specific congregation during their most attended weekly service.
Law enforcement officials have not yet determined Sanford’s specific motive for targeting the LDS church, though they are examining his military background, mental health history, and any potential grievances against the religious community. The suspect’s status as an Iraq War veteran has prompted additional scrutiny into possible PTSD-related factors or radicalization that may have contributed to his violent actions. ATF agents are analyzing the weapons used and the accelerant employed in the arson, while FBI behavioral analysts work to construct a comprehensive profile of the attacker’s motivations and planning process.
Religious Freedom Under Siege
This devastating attack represents a growing threat to religious liberty and the safety of faith communities across America. Houses of worship have increasingly become targets for ideologically motivated violence, threatening the fundamental constitutional right to practice religion freely and safely. The deliberate targeting of families gathered for Sunday worship strikes at the heart of traditional American values and community cohesion that have long been pillars of our society.
Following the Grand Blanc attack, multiple churches throughout Michigan received bomb threats, forcing law enforcement to implement heightened security measures at religious institutions statewide. This pattern of intimidation demonstrates how a single act of violence can terrorize entire faith communities and undermine the peaceful exercise of religious freedom. Church leaders nationwide are now grappling with the sobering reality that even the most sacred spaces require enhanced security protocols to protect congregants from increasingly bold and sophisticated attacks targeting people of faith.
Watch the report: Gunman kills four in Mormon church attack | 7NEWS
Sources:
Multiple people shot at Michigan church, police say
Gunman in Michigan LDS church shooting was veteran of Iraq War