Death toll from attack at Michigan church stays at 4 after police sweep
charred ruins
[September 30, 2025]
By ISABELLA VOLMERT and MARK VANCLEAVE
GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — In the chaotic moments after a former
Marine smashed his pickup truck into a Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan and began shooting, church members
pulled others to safety while smoke filled the building, officials said
Monday.
Four people died and eight others were wounded in Sunday’s attack just
as services were underway in the crowded sanctuary. Authorities feared
they would find additional victims, but by Monday everyone was accounted
for after a sweep of the charred ruins, police said.
Investigators were focusing on what motivated the 40-year-old veteran to
open fire and set ablaze the church in Grand Blanc Township, about 60
miles (96 kilometers) north of Detroit. The suspect was also killed
while exchanging gunfire with two officers, said Township Chief of
Police William Renye.
Eight people — ages 6 to 78 — were shot and wounded but all are expected
to recover, the chief said. Two people were treated for smoke
inhalation, he said.
“This was an evil act of violence,” Renye said.
The FBI considered the attack — the second on an American church in
little over a month — an “act of targeted violence,” said Ruben Coleman,
a special agent in charge for the bureau.
Investigators declined to discuss possible motives during a news
conference Monday.

Authorities identified the shooter as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of the
neighboring town of Burton. Investigators deployed a robot while
searching Sanford’s residence Sunday but did not say what they found or
provide any additional details about him, including whether he had any
connection to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely
known as the Mormon church.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said investigators were
looking into how much planning went into the attack and whether any
clues about the motive were left behind.
“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,” she said Monday during an interview on Fox
News Channel’s “Fox and Friends.”
Heroic efforts at the church
Employees from a nearby hospital were inside the church at the time of
the attack and jumped into action, said Dr. Michael Danic, medical chief
of staff for Henry Ford Genesys Hospital, where most of the victims were
treated.
He described how the employees went “in and out of the fire” to help
drag people out.
“Those on the scene were absolute heroes,” Danic said.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said a Grand Blanc police officer and a
conservation officer with the state’s Department of Natural Resources
brought down the attacker.
The DNR officer was on duty nearby when he responded, said Marc Curtis,
an attorney representing him. “I can tell you that he acted without
hesitation,” Curtis said.
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Emergency crews respond to a shooting and fire at The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Grand Blanc, Mich., Sept. 28,
2025. (David Guralnick/Detroit News via AP)

Searching for answers
Crews in white coveralls and hard hats searched through what
remained of the church Monday morning. The suspect's silver truck
with two American flags in the back remained where it had smashed
into a brick wall near a sign that says “visitors welcome.”
Across the street, there was an SUV with apparent bullet holes in
the windshield and driver window.
A woman who knew Sanford saw him two days before the attack and said
that while she and her daughter were crossing a street, he revved up
his truck and started driving toward them, causing them to jump
back. Kara Pattison told WDIV-TV that Sanford was laughing and said
“Oh, got you guys."
Sanford apparently used gas to start the fire and also had explosive
devices, said James Dier of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives.
Flames and smoke poured from the church for hours after the attack.
The fire gutted nearly all of the building, consuming its towering
white steeple and sanctuary — only its outer walls and a few side
rooms remained standing.
Suspect was deployed to Iraq
According to records released by the Marine Corps, Sanford served
for four years after enlisting in 2004 and was discharged at the
rank of sergeant. He deployed once to Iraq for seven months and was
awarded a Good Conduct Medal, indicating three years of service
without any major infractions.
The shooting was the latest of several attacks on houses of worship
in the U.S. over the past 20 years, including one in August that
killed two children at the Church of the Annunciation in
Minneapolis.
The shooting occurred a day after Russell M. Nelson, the oldest-ever
president of the Utah-based faith, died at 101. Dallin H. Oaks,
expected to be the next president per church protocol, posted his
condolences on social media.
“We all seek answers and understanding in the wake of trauma, shock,
and grief,” he wrote. “We are grateful to all who are reaching out
with service, prayers, and words of support during this difficult
time.”

Shooting leaves area in state of shock
Michigan's governor, a Democrat, said she spoke with Republican
President Donald Trump and that he shared his condolences. “We
cannot continue living our lives like this,” Whitmer said.
Brandt Malone, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints who was attending services at a different church Sunday
morning, said his congregation was evacuated when they heard about
the attack.
“Everyone’s in a state of shock right now,” he said, adding he knows
quite a few people who were in the Grand Blanc church. “We view
church and our worship services really as a sanctuary."
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