In a harrowing attack on Sunday, a gunman plowed his vehicle into the front doors of a Mormon church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan before unleashing a barrage of gunfire and setting the sanctuary ablaze. Authorities say the assailant, later identified as 40-year-old ex-Marine Thomas Jacob Sanford, killed at least four people and wounded eight others in the chaos.
Police officers arrived within eight minutes of the first emergency call. In the ensuing shootout in the church parking lot, the attacker was fatally shot. Hours later, crews combing through the charred remains discovered two more bodies, bringing the confirmed death toll to four, with officials warning that some victims may still be unaccounted for.
"There are some that are unaccounted for," Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye told reporters as investigators continued their search amid smoldering debris.
A U.S. Marine veteran who served from 2004 to 2008 and saw combat in Iraq, Sanford is believed to have deliberately set the building on fire. Hundreds of churchgoers were attending a service at the time, escalating concerns over security at places of worship nationwide.
Investigation Underway
Law enforcement officials are now turning their attention to Sanford's background, scrutinizing his home and phone records for any clues to his motive. The incident also drew a chilling parallel to another recent church shooting in North Carolina: less than 14 hours earlier, 40-year-old Marine veteran Nigel Max Edge was accused of killing three people and wounding five at a separate place of worship.
As the community grapples with grief and shock, leaders are calling for solidarity and support for those affected. Authorities urge anyone with information to come forward as they piece together the sequence of events that led to this tragedy.
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Shooter kills at least 4, wounds 8 at Mormon church in Michigan
cgtn.com
