A deranged individual, identified as a 40-year-old Iraq War veteran, reportedly has killed at least four individuals and injured eight others in a tragic event at a Latter-day Saints church in Michigan, confirmed by The Post.
Thomas Jacob Sanford drove his Chevy Silverado into the church before unleashing gunfire on congregants attending a Sunday service for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.
The truck displayed two large American flags mounted behind the cab, along with deer antlers attached to the front bumper.
Sanford set the church ablaze, completely destroying the building. Authorities are concerned that additional victims may be trapped in the flames.
According to a Facebook post by Sanford’s mother, the assailant served in Iraq between 2004 and 2008.
He was shot dead shortly after the initial 911 call was placed. Responding officers, including a county officer, arrived within approximately 30 seconds, authorities reported.
Authorities confirmed that Sanford, a resident of nearby Burton, Michigan, was the sole suspect in the incident.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but sources disclosed to The Post that improvised explosive devices were discovered on church premises, prompting a thorough investigation by a bomb squad.
Simultaneously, a bomb squad is examining Sanford’s residence.
According to law enforcement, hundreds of congregants were inside the church when the violence erupted, with aerial images capturing a significant plume of black smoke rising from the burning building.
Social media profiles believed to belong to Sanford portray him as a devoted family man, with references to a wife and a young son.
A previously dormant GoFundMe page from 2015 raised over $3,000 for the couple’s now-10-year-old son, who was born with congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI), a rare genetic condition resulting in excessive insulin production by the pancreas.
Images from the Sanfords’ Facebook account reveal a happy family, captured in various moments of joy, including photos of them in truck beds or amidst tall sunflowers in a field.
An anonymous witness reported to Fox 2 Detroit that the chaos began shortly after the congregational hymn, when many attendees filled the building for the 10 a.m. service.
Churchgoers heard a loud crash as the vehicle collided with the church.
“Initially, we thought someone had accidentally driven into the church, so we went outside to assist,” the witness recounted to the local station.
Paul Kirby, 38, who rushed outside to help, believed it to be an accident until he noticed the shooter emerging from the truck about 10-20 yards away.
“He began firing at me,” Kirby recalled, with a bullet striking nearby and sending shrapnel into his leg.
He then hurried inside to locate his wife and children, escaping through the back and assisting as many people into their vehicle as possible before fleeing the scene.
Grand Blanc resident Tony Deck recounted to USA Today seeing “at least four yellow canvases covering deceased individuals” as he passed by the church in the aftermath of the attack.
Aerial images displayed the extensive fire engulfing the church. Although the precise cause of the fire is still being investigated, sources informed The Post that multiple improvised explosive devices were discovered at the site.
Meanwhile, law enforcement officials are also investigating potential links between the mass shooting and the recent passing of longtime LDS church president Russel M. Nelson, who passed away on Saturday in Salt Lake City at the age of 101, as reported by a source with knowledge of the investigation speaking with ABC News.
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