Shooting at Michigan Mormon Church Leaves Four Dead, Eight Injured
A shooting at a Mormon church in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Saturday resulted in four fatalities and eight injuries, including children. The incident occurred during a service attended by hundreds of people. Authorities fear the death toll may rise as they continue to search the church building, which was set ablaze by the attacker.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, a veteran of the Marines who served in Iraq from 2004 to 2008, drove his car into the church before opening fire with an assault rifle. He was quickly apprehended by police, but not before igniting a fire within the building using petrol.
Firefighters extinguished the flames after approximately an hour, but concerns remain about potential additional victims who may have perished in the fire or from gunshot wounds. Police have described the attack as a “targeted act of violence” and are investigating the motive.
Local law enforcement praised the bravery of church members who shielded children and guided them to safety during the attack. Grand blanc Police Chief William Rennye highlighted the heroism of both first responders and those inside the church.
The shooting prompted swift condemnation from political leaders. President Donald Trump labeled it “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States” and called for an end to the “epidemic of violence” in the country. Michigan Governor Gretchen whitmer, a democrat, denounced the violence, particularly within a place of worship. FBI Director Kash Patel called the act “fainthearted and criminal.”
This incident is one of several shootings across the United States this weekend. In North Carolina, three people died and at least six were injured after a shooting from a boat on the Southport promenade. in Texas, a casino shooting left two dead and five injured, and in New Orleans, a woman was killed and three others wounded on Bourbon Street.
(Source: ansa)