A suspect was taken into custody after ramming through a police barricade outside the Michigan Latter-day Saints Church, the site of a tragic shooting and arson that left four individuals dead the previous day.
The unidentified man was apprehended in his red Buick Reatta on Monday morning after crossing the police barricade near the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, where officers discovered a long gun inside his car, according to a CNN report.
Police Chief William Reyne of Grand Blanc Township confirmed the details during a press briefing, identifying the suspect as a 21-year-old without revealing further specifics.
In the horrific event, which occurred when Thomas Sanford, 40, plowed his pickup truck through the churchâs entrance and opened fire on congregants with an assault rifle, four individuals lost their lives and eight others sustained injuries.
The man also ignited a fire within the church, leading to its complete destruction as flames billowed into the sky, visible from miles around in the community situated around 60 miles north of Detroit.
Chief Reyne condemned the assault as an âevil act of violence,â stating that all worshippers present during Sundayâs attack have been accounted for, but the investigation continues to ascertain Sanfordâs intentions.
Stay updated with The Postâs coverage of the Michigan church shooting
- Thomas Sanfordâs mother shared a chilling message about someone âavoiding accountabilityâ shortly before the shooting
- Karoline Leavitt suggests Michigan gunman âhatedâ Mormons as Trump calls it an âattack on Christiansâ
- Brave officers arrived at the Grand Blanc LDS church shooting in 30 seconds, neutralizing the gunman Thomas Sanford within 8 minutes
- Iraq War veteran Thomas Sanford identified as the gunman behind the attack on Grand Blanc LDS church, resulting in 4 deaths and a blaze
The chief also disclosed that Sanford, a decorated Marine with two tours of duty in Iraq from 2004 to 2008, had previous charges including burglary and driving under the influence.
Additionally, Sanford expressed to a city council candidate in the nearby town of Burton that he held resentment towards Mormons and referred to their faith as âthe antichrist.â
Kris Johns, while canvassing neighborhoods in Burton on September 22 ahead of the local elections, was met by Sanford, who railed against Mormons, recalling an ex-girlfriend whose family belonged to the LDS church during his time in Utah.
Sanford ultimately succumbed in a shootout with law enforcement outside the church.
