GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A gunman opened fire inside a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan during a Sunday service and set the building ablaze, killing at least two people and injuring eight others before police shot him, authorities said.
Hundreds of people were inside the church in Grand Blanc Township when a man rammed a four-door pickup with two American flags in the truck bed through the front door, then got out of the vehicle and started shooting, Police Chief William Renye told reporters. Investigators believe he “deliberately” set the building on fire, Renye said.
Officers responded to a 911 call and were at the church within 30 seconds, Renye said. After the suspect left the church, two officers pursued him and “engaged in gunfire,” the chief said. They killed the shooter about seven minutes later.
Flames and smoke could be seen pouring from the church for hours before the blaze was put out.
Renye identified the suspect as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, from neighboring Burton. Reyne did not specify a motive at a news conference on Sunday evening. Police cordoned off the street leading to the suspect’s home
Renye said one of the wounded people was in critical condition and seven others were stable. Earlier in the day, Renye had said authorities believed they would find more victims once they could sift through the wreckage and find where the fire was.
The motive was not yet clear
Investigators were searching the suspect’s residence in nearby Burton. Authorities did not provide any additional details about the suspect, including whether he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.
It was the latest of many shooting attacks on houses of worship in the U.S. over the past 20 years, including one in August that killed two children during Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis.
President Donald Trump said he was briefed on the shooting. In a social media post, he applauded the FBI, who local authorities said are sending 100 agents to the area, for responding.
“PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote.
The church building, circled by a parking lot and a large lawn, is near residential areas and a Jehovah’s Witness church. It is in Grand Blanc Township, a community of roughly 40,000 people outside Flint.
Brad Schneemann, whose home is about 400 yards (365 meters) from the church, told The Associated Press that he and his daughter heard “two rounds of four to five shots” around 10:30 a.m. “Then, we really didn’t hear anything for a while” before they left their home to see what was going on.
Tight-knit church community
The impact spread quickly to neighboring communities, including the small city that shares a name with the township.
“Although we are two separate governmental units, we are a very cohesive community,” said city of Grand Blanc Mayor John Creasey. “This sort of thing is painful for our entire community. I’m struggling to digest all that has happened, and my heart goes out to all of the affected families.”
Timothy Jones, 48, said his family is part of another Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation, or ward, about 15 minutes away, but that his children were at the Grand Blanc Township ward the night before the shooting for a youth fall festival. He and his family moved to Flint two years ago in large part because of how strong the faith’s community is in the area.
As people in his congregation got word of the shooting from texts and phone calls during their own Sunday service, the church went into lockdown and police came as a precaution, he said. His children were “frantically, just trying to get word that people were OK.”
Sundays are “supposed to be a time of peace and a time of reflection and worship,” Jones said. Yet in the wake of violence at other houses of worship across religions, a shooting “feels inevitable, and all the more tragic because of that” he added.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement that her heart was breaking for the community. “Violence anywhere especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” she said.
The shooting occurred the morning after Russell M. Nelson, the oldest-ever president of the faith, died at 101. The next president is expected to be Dallin H. Oaks, per church protocol.
“The church is in communication with local law enforcement as the investigation continues and as we receive updates on the condition of those affected,” Doug Anderson, a spokesperson for Utah-based faith said in a statement.
“Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection. We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”
Some striking nurses at nearby Henry Ford Hospital left the picket line and ran the short distance to the church to help first responders, Teamsters Local 332 President Dan Glass said.
“Human lives matter more than our labor dispute.” Glass said.
___
Associated Press reporters Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama; Sophia Tareen in Chicago; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
By ISABELLA VOLMERT and COREY WILLIAMS
Associated Press
