Drone captures Michigan church burning after mass shooting
On the morning of Sunday, September 28, multiple people were shot at a church in Grand Blanc, Michigan, followed by a fire.
DETROIT — A former Marine who opened fire on a Michigan church and set the building on fire in late September was motivated by anti-religious beliefs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.
The Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, previously reported that the suspect in the deadly attack had expressed disdain for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the FBI initially did not provide details about a possible motive for what they called a “targeted act of violence.”
About a month after the attack, the FBI revealed a suspected motive in a brief update on Oct. 31. The FBI did not provide further information about how investigators determined a motive, but Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office, said it was “based on countless investigative efforts.”
“Based on the facts, circumstances, and information available in this incident, I confirm that this was a targeted act of violence believed to be motivated by the perpetrator’s anti-religious beliefs against the Mormon community,” Runyan said in a video statement.
The gunman, identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, opened fire on hundreds of worshipers inside a church in Grand Blanc Township on September 28. At one point, Sanford set the church on fire and was subsequently shot and killed by responding officers.
Four people were killed in the attack and nine others were injured, Runyan said in an update. Officials had previously announced that eight people were injured.
Runyan said the investigation is ongoing and the FBI is pursuing all credible leads related to this case. Since the attack, the FBI has deployed more than 100 personnel, including special agents and intelligence analysts, to investigate the incident, Runyan said.
“We want the entire Grand Blanc community to know that we support you. We remember those who are no longer with us and we hold in our thoughts those who are still recovering,” Runyan said. “This tragedy not only affected the Grand Blanc community, it had a lasting impact on our country.”
Federal authorities had previously declined to share information about the case.
The Oct. 31 update was one of the first from a federal law enforcement agency in recent weeks. The Free Press reached out to the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for more information, but representatives said they could not provide further information due to the federal government shutdown.
“During the furlough, (the U.S. Department of Justice’s) operations are focused on national security, federal law violations, and critical public safety functions. That being said, ATF’s investigation into the Grand Blanc Township LDS Church attack has not been affected during the furlough,” Detroit-based ATF spokesperson Tracy Morris said in an Oct. 20 email to the Free Press.
“Unfortunately, the remaining questions will need to be answered once I return to the office after my furlough.”
What happened in the Grand Blanc church shooting?
The attack occurred just before 10:30 a.m. local time on September 28, as hundreds of people were attending morning prayers.
Authorities said Sanford drove a pickup truck with two American flags into the chapel and opened fire with an assault rifle. He also used gasoline to set the building on fire, reducing much of the church to rubble.
Two law enforcement officers, who were on the scene within 30 seconds of the initial 911 call, shot and killed Sanford in the church parking lot within minutes of the shooting, Grand Blanc County Police Chief William Renier previously said.
Two church members were killed in the shooting. The bodies of the other two worshipers were discovered hours later in the rubble of the chapel.
Grand Blanc Township, a suburb of Flint, Michigan, is approximately 90 miles northwest of Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city’s population was approximately 7,700.
Who is Thomas Jacob Sanford?
Sanford lived in Barton, Michigan, just a few miles from the church where the attack occurred. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 2004 to 2008, including a tour of duty in the Middle East, where he received several medals and commendations.
About a week before the shooting, Sanford lashed out at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and called Mormons “the antichrist,” said Chris Johns, a local Burton City Council candidate.
While recruiting, Johns knocked on Sanford’s door and the two talked about religion, Sanford’s time in the military, his children and his battle with addiction.
“It was pretty standard anti-LDS talking points that you see on YouTube, TikTok and Facebook,” Johns said, adding that Sanford “was not a forgettable guy.”
Contributors: Jeanine Santucci and Christopher Cann, USA TODAY. Andrea Mae Sahouri and John Wiseley, Detroit Free Press
