Gunman Storms Michigan Church in U.S., Killing Four

(MENAFN) At least four people were killed and eight others injured when a gunman opened fire inside a Mormon church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, on Sunday morning, local police confirmed.

The death toll rose after additional bodies were discovered within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Grand Blanc Police Chief William Renye reported that five individuals had been killed in total, including the suspect, who died in a gunfight with responding officers.

"We do not have names of victims at this time," stated the Grand Blanc Township Police Department in an earlier announcement.

The 40-year-old gunman, identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, rammed his vehicle through the church's front doors before emerging and "firing several rounds at individuals inside," according to Renye. Sanford, a former U.S. Marine and Iraq war veteran from the nearby city of Burton, engaged in a shootout with police before being fatally shot.

At the time of the attack, the church was holding a service, and Renye confirmed that "there were hundreds of people within the church."

During the incident, a fire broke out at the church, but it was quickly brought under control. Renye indicated that the fire was likely intentionally set by the suspect. "There was a fire that occurred, and we believe that it was deliberately set by the suspect," he said.

Authorities have announced plans to search Sanford's residence and are investigating the motive behind the brutal attack.

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his condolences and condemned the violence. In a statement posted on his Truth Social account, he referred to the shooting as a "targeted attack" against Christians and America, calling for an end to the “epidemic of violence in our country.”

The FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are assisting local police in the ongoing investigation.

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