Iraq War Veteran Identified as Gunman in Deadly Michigan Church Attack

Grand Blanc, MI – Authorities have identified the man behind Sunday’s horrific attack on a Latter-day Saints church in Grand Blanc Township as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq.

Police say Sanford drove his Chevy Silverado into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before opening fire on congregants with a semi-automatic rifle. At least two people were killed and nine others wounded as families fled the burning building.

Sanford died at the scene in an exchange of gunfire with officers. Investigators are also probing several explosive devices found on church grounds, though the cause of the blaze that engulfed the building remains under review.

Witnesses described chaos as hundreds of worshippers tried to escape while heavy smoke and flames consumed the structure. Aerial images showed the church almost entirely destroyed.

Social media accounts linked to Sanford portray him as a family man, with a wife and young son. A GoFundMe campaign created in 2015 had raised money for the boy, who was born with a rare insulin disorder.

Law enforcement officials continue to investigate Sanford’s motives in what is now one of Michigan’s deadliest church shootings.