Gunman in truck smashes into Michigan church and opens fire, killing at least 4 and injuring 8

GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. — At least four people were killed and eight injured when a gunman in a pickup truck smashed through the doors of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan during a Sunday service attended by hundreds, opened fire and set the building ablaze. Police shot and killed the suspect, authorities said.

The attack occurred about 10:25 a.m. in Grand Blanc Township, about 50 miles north of Detroit. The gunman got out of the four-door pickup, which bore two American flags, and started shooting, Police Chief William Renye told reporters. He apparently used gas to start the fire and also had explosive devices, but it wasn’t clear if he used them, said James Dier of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Authorities identified the shooter as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of the neighboring small town of Burton. The FBI is leading the investigation and considered it an “act of targeted violence,” said Ruben Coleman, a special agent in charge for the bureau.

Officers responded to a 911 call and were at the church within 30 seconds and killed the shooter about eight minutes later, Renye said. After the suspect left the church, two officers pursued him and “engaged in gunfire,” the chief said.

Renye said people inside the church during the attack were “shielding children” and “moving them to safety.”

Flames and smoke could be seen pouring from the church for hours before the blaze was put out.

He said that authorities had yet to make it though the entire church and that more victims could be found. One of the wounded people was in critical condition Sunday evening and the seven others were stable, he said.

Renye said some people were unaccounted for, but he didn’t have an exact number.

Michigan State Police Lt. Kim Vetter said bomb threats were made at other churches in the area after officers shot and killed Sanford. No bombs were found and police were investigating the threats.

Motive not yet clear

Investigators were searching Sanford’s residence in Burton, but authorities but did not say what they found or provide any additional details about him, including whether he was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.

Sanford served in the Marines from June 2004 through June 2008, working as an automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator, according to military records obtained by the Detroit News. He was deployed to Iraq from August 2007 through March 2008 and had the rank of sergeant.

Sunday’s attack in Grand Blanc Township was the latest of many shootings at houses of worship in the U.S. over the last 20 years, including one in August that killed two children and injured 21 other people during Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis.

It also was the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours. On Saturday night, a man in a boat opened fire on a crowd in Southport, N.C., killing three and injuring five.

President Trump said he was briefed on the shooting. In a social media post, he applauded the response of the FBI, which local authorities said was sending 100 agents to Grand Blanc Township, a community of about 40,000 people just outside Flint.

“PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote.

The church building, encircled by a parking lot and a large lawn, is near residential areas and a Jehovah’s Witness church.

Brad Schneemann, whose home is about 400 yards from the Mormon church, told the Associated Press that he and his daughter heard “two rounds of four to five shots” around 10:30 a.m. “Then, we really didn’t hear anything for a while.” They left their home to see what was going on.

Tight-knit church community

Timothy Jones, 48, said that his family is part of another Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation, or ward, about 15 minutes away, but that his children were at the Grand Blanc Township ward the night before the shooting for a youth fall festival. He and his family moved to Flint two years ago in large part because of how strong the faith’s community is in the area, he said.

As people in his congregation got word of the shooting from texts and phone calls during their own Sunday service, the church went into lockdown and police came as a precaution, he said. His children were “frantically just trying to get word that people were OK.”

Sundays are “supposed to be a time of peace and a time of reflection and worship,” Jones said. Yet in the wake of violence at other houses of worship across religions, a shooting “feels inevitable, and all the more tragic because of that,” he added.

The shooting occurred the morning after Russell M. Nelson, the oldest-ever president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died at 101. The next president of the faith is expected to be Dallin H. Oaks, per church protocol.

“The church is in communication with local law enforcement as the investigation continues and as we receive updates on the condition of those affected,” Doug Anderson, a spokesperson for Utah-based faith said in a statement.

“Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection. We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”

Impact felt throughout the area

When striking nurses at nearby Henry Ford Genesys Hospital heard about the shooting, some left the picket line and ran the short distance to the church to help first responders, Teamsters Local 332 President Dan Glass said.

“Human lives matter more than our labor dispute,” Glass said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement that her heart is breaking for the Grand Blanc community. “Violence anywhere especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” she said.

The impact spread quickly to neighboring communities, including the small city that shares a name with the township.

“Although we are two separate governmental units, we are a very cohesive community,” said city of Grand Blanc Mayor John Creasey. “This sort of thing is painful for our entire community.”

About 100 people gathered for a prayer service Sunday evening at the River Church in Grand Blanc, a nondenominational Christian church about 5 miles from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many bowed their heads, some cried softly. A few spoke their prayers aloud, asking for healing for the victims, the victims’ families and first responders.

“We live in days that are difficult and troubled, days that are weary and tiring,” said Pastor Chuck Lindsey, leading the congregation in prayer. “We’re exhausted by the evil, we’re exhausted by these things. But Lord, you are our refuge.”

Volmert and Williams write for the Associated Press. AP writers Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Ala., and Sophia Tareen in Chicago and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.