GRAND BLANC, MICHIGAN: At least four people were killed and eight others injured when a gunman rammed his vehicle into a church, opened fire, and then set the building on fire during Sunday service, police said.
The attack took place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, about 60 miles northwest of Detroit. Hundreds of worshippers were inside at the time.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford from Burton, Michigan, was shot dead by police in the church car park just minutes after the violence began. Officials are treating the incident as an “act of targeted violence,” though the motive remains unclear.
Police Chief William Renye confirmed two victims died of gunshot wounds. Later, two more bodies were found inside the fire-damaged church. Some people remain unaccounted for.
Authorities said Sanford used an assault-style rifle to fire several rounds before setting the blaze with gasoline. Officers engaged him in gunfire and killed him eight minutes after the attack started.
Chief Renye praised the “heroism” of church members who sheltered children during the chaos.
The FBI has taken over the investigation and deployed more than 100 agents to the scene, including bomb experts, after multiple bomb threats were reported elsewhere in the state.
Sanford was a Marine Corps veteran, according to records. Investigators are searching his property and phone records for clues about his motive.
Leaders across the US condemned the attack. President Donald Trump said the FBI would lead the federal probe, calling it “yet another targeted attack on Christians in America.” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said violence in places of worship was “unacceptable.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed the incident in a statement, saying: “We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”