At Least 4 Killed, 8 Injured in Church Attack in Grand Blanc, Michigan

 On Sunday, September 28, 2025, a deadly attack unfolded during a Sunday service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. A man drove a vehicle into the church building, opened fire on worshippers, and then set the structure ablaze. 

Authorities have confirmed at least 4 people were killed and 8 injured in the violence. Among the injured, one individual is in critical condition, and the rest are in stable condition. 

The assailant was identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, a 40-year-old former U.S. Marine and Iraq War veteran from Burton, Michigan. He reportedly drove a pickup truck into the front of the church, exited the vehicle, and began firing. Afterward, he apparently used gasoline or another accelerant to kindle a fire in the church. 

Within minutes of the alarm, law enforcement responded. Two officers engaged the suspect in a gunfight and fatally shot him, roughly eight minutes after the attack began. 

Investigators are still combing through the charred remains of the church to look for additional victims and evidence. They have not yet determined a clear motive for the attack. The FBI has taken charge of the investigation and is treating the incident as a targeted act of violence. 

In the aftermath, local officials and community members rallied to support the victims and their families. Michigan’s governor ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims. Other churches in the region also received bomb threats, but authorities found no devices. 

This tragedy has sent shockwaves across religious and local communities in the U.S., and raises urgent questions about violence targeting places of worship.