Death Toll Rises to Four in Shooting and Arson; Iraq War Veteran Thomas Jacob Sanford ID’d as Gunman Motivated by Religious Hate
The deadly attack on a Michigan church on Sunday was allegedly motivated by the gunman’s “hatred of the Mormon faith,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Monday, citing conversations with the FBI Director. The revelation sheds light on the motive behind the rampage that has tragically killed at least four people and wounded eight others at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The deceased suspect, identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan, was an Iraq War veteran who served in the U.S. Marines from 2004 to 2008.
“From what I understand based on my conversations with the FBI director, all they know right now is that this was an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith,” Leavitt said on “Fox & Friends.” She added that investigators are working to determine the extent of the planning, including whether Sanford left a note.
The death toll has risen as authorities continue to process the scene. Sanford allegedly plowed his Chevy Silverado pickup truck into the church’s front doors during a Sunday service, opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle, and is believed to have intentionally set the massive fire that engulfed the building.
Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye previously confirmed that ten gunshot victims were rushed to the hospital, including two who were pronounced dead. Authorities have since recovered additional bodies from the charred ruins of the church, raising the minimum death toll to four, with search operations continuing as some victims remain unaccounted for.
Attack Investigated as Targeted Violence
The FBI is leading the federal investigation into what the agency is calling an “act of targeted violence.” Investigators at the scene, which was described by officials as “dynamic,” found multiple suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the property, leading to bomb squad involvement and a cautious search of Sanford’s nearby residence.
The violence drew swift condemnation from national leaders. President Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social, stating the attack “appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America.” He called for prayers and demanded an immediate end to the “EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi also dispatched agents from the FBI and ATF to the scene, calling the violence at a place of worship “heartbreaking and chilling.”
Details released by military officials show Sanford, known to some as “Jake,” had served a combat tour in Iraq. Records indicate he was an organizational automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator, achieving the rank of sergeant before his discharge in 2008. He had been married to his wife, Tella Sanford, since 2016. The Grand Blanc tragedy is the second mass shooting at a place of worship in the U.S. in the last month, following an attack at a Catholic church in Minneapolis that killed two children in August.
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