Thomas Jacob Sanford Identified as Suspect in Michigan Church Shooting Today
- 17GEN4
- Sep 28
- 1 min read
Developing... That was the extent of the LIVE Press Conference Just Now.
Another Press Conference is scheduled for 8PM EST.
Authorities have identified 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford as the suspect in the mass shooting and arson attack at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, which occurred on Sunday, September 28, 2025.
Sanford, a U.S. Marine veteran who served in Iraq from 2004 to 2008, was fatally shot by police after ramming his vehicle into the church, opening fire on worshippers, and allegedly setting the building ablaze.
The attack resulted in at least two fatalities and nine injuries, with the death toll potentially rising as investigators search the damaged structure.
The suspect, Thomas Jacob Sanford, is a resident of Burton, Michigan, located about eight miles from Grand Blanc Township.
He is believed to have used a semi-automatic rifle and drove a Chevy Silverado into the church’s front doors during a Sunday morning service, which was attended by hundreds of people.
Authorities confirmed that Sanford was killed in a shootout with responding officers in the church parking lot.
Investigators are examining his social media accounts, which depict him as a family man married with a young son, and are probing potential motives, including possible mental health struggles and anti-Mormon rhetoric.
Several improvised explosive devices were found on the church property, prompting a bomb squad investigation.
The motive for the attack remains under investigation, and law enforcement agencies at local, state, and federal levels are collaborating on the case.
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