Featured Image Credit: Emily Elconin/Getty Images
Topics: US News
Emma Rosemurgey
Four people have died and several more are said to be injured after a man opened fire at a church in Michigan, before setting it ablaze on Sunday (28 September).
Local authorities have branded the assault on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Grand Blanc Township 'an act of targeted violence'. The church was in the middle of a Sunday service attended by hundreds of people when the gunman launched his attack.
The suspect, 40-year-old former Marine Thomas Jacob Sanford, was killed by police who attended the shooting.
Authorities are yet to determine a motivation for the shooting and it's unclear whether the gunman had any connection to the church.
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Reuben Coleman, the acting special agent for the FBI in Detroit, said: "This act of violence has no place in our state or anywhere else in our country.
"The FBI is committed to continue finding out the facts, circumstances and motives behind this tragedy."
According to Grand Blanc Township Police Chief Bill Renye, a gunman drove a vehicle into the church at 10.25am on Sunday, before getting out and opening fire with an assault rifle.
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The first officers on the scene arrived around 30 seconds after the alarm was first raised, and around eight minutes later, the suspect was killed by officers around the back of the church.
At some point, in between the initial shooting and the gunman being killed, the perpetrator was able to spark a fire which quickly spread across the building before later being contained by firefighters.
Two of the deceased died from gunshot wounds while two more were later found dead, however there are others who had been in attendance at the church service who currently remain unaccounted for, as the building was still being 'cleared' following extensive damage from the fire, Renye said during a news conference.
Officials said at least eight people have been injured.
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The person accused of being the shooter is Thomas Jacob Sanford, a 40-year-old man from Burton, around a 15 minute drive from the church where the attack took place.
Sanford previously worked as US Marine, first joining in 2004 and later earning the ranking of sergeant before leaving in 2008. In 2007, he served in Iraq for nearly seven months under Operation Iraqi Freedom, before leaving the Corps several months later.
Records show he received several awards during his time in the military, including Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
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Donald Trump announced he had been briefed on the shooting, which he branded 'yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America', on Truth Social. The US president confirmed the FBI would be leading the investigations.
Meanwhile, US attorney general Pam Bondi took to X to confirm she was aware of 'what appears to be a horrific shooting and fire'.
"Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling," she wrote. "Please join me in praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy."
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she was monitoring the situation, adding: "Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable."
Mitt Romney, former US senator for Utah and member of the Mormon community, said the shooting was a 'tragedy.'
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"My brothers and sisters and their church are targets of violence," he said. "Praying for healing and comforting."