On Sunday, September 28, 2025, the quiet suburb of Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, was shattered by a violent and tragic attack that left four people dead and eight others wounded at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel. The incident, which unfolded just after 10:25 a.m., has shaken the local community and reignited national conversations about violence in places of worship.
According to law enforcement and multiple media reports, the assailant was identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, a 40-year-old former Marine from Burton, Michigan, a nearby city roughly six miles from Grand Blanc Township. Sanford’s background, actions, and possible motivations are now the subject of an intensive investigation led by the FBI, which has characterized the attack as an "act of targeted violence."
The sequence of events was both swift and devastating. Hundreds of worshippers were gathered in the church for Sunday services when Sanford drove his pickup truck—adorned with two American flags—into the building’s front wall. He then exited the vehicle armed with an assault-style rifle, opening fire on congregants before igniting a fire with gasoline or another accelerant. The chaos and destruction were immediate, with fire and smoke quickly engulfing the sanctuary and sending terrified worshippers fleeing for their lives.
Police responded with remarkable speed, arriving at the scene within 30 seconds of the first 911 call. Officers chased Sanford from the church and exchanged gunfire with him in a parking lot behind the building. The confrontation ended eight minutes after the attack began when Sanford was fatally shot by police. The swift response likely prevented further loss of life, but the toll was already severe: four people killed and eight injured, including three who suffered from smoke inhalation. The victims ranged in age from just 6 years old to 78, according to authorities cited by The New York Times and AP News.
As the smoke cleared, investigators began the grim task of searching for additional victims in the church’s charred remains. Fortunately, by Monday, officials confirmed that all those who had been unaccounted for were safe. The building itself, however, was declared “a total loss” by Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye, with only the outer walls and a few side rooms left standing after the fire gutted the sanctuary and destroyed the iconic white steeple.
The FBI quickly took charge of the investigation, deploying at least 100 agents to the scene. Ruben Coleman, special agent in charge for the bureau, described the attack as “an act of targeted violence.” Investigators also recovered three makeshift explosives at the scene, though it remains unclear if these devices were used to start the fire. James Deir, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Detroit Field Division, confirmed the use of an accelerant and the presence of explosive devices.
Sanford’s background has drawn intense scrutiny. He served in the Marine Corps from 2004 to 2008, including a nearly seven-month deployment in Iraq in 2007. During his service, he was awarded several medals, including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal. Marine Corps records show he held the rank of sergeant and worked as an organizational automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator. Neighbors described Sanford as quiet and generous, with one recalling that he plowed driveways for free during winter.
Sanford’s family expressed deep shock and sorrow in the aftermath. In a statement to NBC News, his father said, “We are devastated; we don’t know what to think. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Grand Blanc community and all those affected by this tragedy.” Authorities have not established any link between Sanford’s political views or his son’s medical condition and the attack, despite a 2019 photograph circulating online showing Sanford in a “TRUMP 2020” shirt. Investigators have also not indicated whether Sanford had any personal connection to the Mormon church or its members.
As for motive, it remains elusive. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking on Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends,” relayed that, “From what I understand, based on my conversations with the FBI director, all they know right now is this was an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith.” The FBI and other officials have otherwise declined to publicly speculate about Sanford’s motivations, emphasizing the need for a thorough and careful investigation. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer echoed this sentiment, urging the public to avoid speculation: “At this juncture, speculation is unhelpful and it can be downright dangerous. So just ask that people lower the temperature of rhetoric.”
The attack has had a profound impact on the local and broader faith communities. The Grand Blanc Township congregation, one of the largest Mormon congregations in the area with about 150 members, is part of a network serving nearly 47,000 members in Michigan. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, based in Salt Lake City, is reeling from the loss, especially coming just a day after the death of its longtime president, Russell M. Nelson, at age 101. A church spokesperson, Doug Anderson, said, “Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection. We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”
The violence also rippled through the wider Grand Blanc community. Grand Blanc Community Schools were closed on Monday to allow families time to process and mourn, with Superintendent Trevor Alward calling the act “reprehensible.” On Sunday evening, about 100 people gathered for a prayer service at a local nondenominational church, seeking solace and unity in the face of tragedy. Pastor Chuck Lindsey spoke for many when he said, “We live in days that are difficult and troubled, days that are weary and tiring. We’re exhausted by the evil, we’re exhausted by these things. But Lord, you are our refuge.”
This incident is the latest in a troubling series of attacks on American houses of worship in recent years. In August, two children were killed during Mass at a Catholic church in Minneapolis, and in July, two women were fatally shot at a church in Lexington, Kentucky. The Grand Blanc Township shooting was also the second mass shooting in the U.S. within 24 hours, following an unrelated attack in Southport, North Carolina, that claimed three lives.
As investigators continue to comb through evidence and search for answers, the people of Grand Blanc—and communities across the nation—are left to grapple with the aftermath of a tragedy that struck at the very heart of their sanctuary. The scars of this violence will linger, but so too will the resilience of those determined to heal and rebuild.
