This morning, shortly after a tragic event unfolded at a church in Grand Blanc, MI, the Gateway Pundit provided its initial coverage of the chaotic situation.
At the onset of the incident, details regarding the gunman who unleashed terror at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on McCandlish Road were scant.
Preliminary reports suggested that between 6 and 8 individuals had sustained injuries and were rushed to hospitals, though specific figures were yet to be confirmed. Eventually, the heartbreaking news surfaced that one victim was killed while eight others were hospitalized. Compounding the horror, the church itself was set ablaze, activating a vigorous four-alarm emergency response.
During a press conference, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye refrained from disclosing the shooter’s name but did identify him as a 40-year-old male hailing from Burton, MI—a city neighboring Grand Blanc and situated nearly 60 miles north of Detroit.
Further developments now reveal the alleged assailant was indeed Thomas Jacob Sandford, a 40-year-old ex-U.S. Marine with a combat history from Iraq.
Authorities confirmed that investigators have been stationed outside Sanford’s residence on Atherton Road, which has been secured as a crime scene. Property records show that Sanford owns the home, as well as a 2008 GMC Sierra pickup truck, the very vehicle used to ram into the church during the attack.
The New York Post reported that an old Facebook post from Sanford’s mother revealed he served in Iraq from 2004 to 2008.
Law enforcement sources have verified that Sanford, also from nearby Burton, is indeed the shooting suspect. Further reports indicate that investigators discovered several improvised explosive devices on church property, with bomb squads engaged in a thorough investigation.
In a decidedly curious twist, the Gateway Pundit tracked down the alleged shooter’s residence, unveiling a Trump-Vance sign found embedded behind a STOP sign on what appears to be his property. This revelation was corroborated by records accessed via SmartBackgroundCheck.com and CheckMyVote.org, which showed Sanford registered to vote in the 2018 midterms, following Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory.
While many social media users have asserted that the shooter had a history of disparaging President Trump, we found no substantial evidence to support these claims. However, an image from Google Maps does depict a STOP sign placed in front of a Trump-Pence sign, possibly indicating a clear message from Sanford to passing motorists on E. Atherton Rd. in rural Burton, MI.
Please join us in praying for the swift recovery of the victims affected by this heinous act, as well as for the law enforcement officials who will be tasked with assessing the church, now devastated by fire, and for innocent parishioners who may have suffered in yet another episode of violence targeting places of worship in America.
