GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — In the chaotic moments after a former Marine smashed his pickup truck into a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan and began shooting, church members pulled others to safety while smoke filled the building, officials said Monday.
Four people died and eight others were wounded in Sunday’s attack just as services were underway in the crowded sanctuary. Authorities feared they would find additional victims, but by Monday everyone was accounted for after a sweep of the charred ruins, police said.
Investigators were focusing on what motivated the 40-year-old veteran to open fire and set ablaze the church in Grand Blanc Township, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) north of Detroit. The suspect was also killed while exchanging gunfire with two officers, said Township Chief of Police William Renye.
Eight people — ages 6 to 78 — were injured, including five with gunshot wounds, the chief said. The others suffered smoke inhalation.
“This was an evil act of violence,” Renye said.
The FBI considered the attack — the second on an American church in little over a month — an “act of targeted violence,” said Ruben Coleman, a special agent in charge for the bureau.
Investigators declined to discuss possible motives during a news conference Monday.
Authorities identified the shooter as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of the neighboring town of Burton. Investigators deployed a robot while searching Sanford’s residence Sunday but did not say what they found or provide any additional details about him, including whether he had any connection to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said investigators were looking into how much planning went into the attack and whether any clues about the motive were left behind.
“From what I understand, based on my conversations with the FBI director, all they know right now is this was an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith,” she said Monday during an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends.”
Heroic efforts at the church
Employees from a nearby hospital were inside the church at the time of the attack and jumped into action, said Dr. Michael Danic, medical chief of staff for Henry Ford Genesys Hospital, where most of the victims were treated.
He described how the employees went “in and out of the fire” to help drag people out.
“Those on the scene were absolute heroes,” Danic said.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said a Grand Blanc police officer and a conservation officer with the state’s Department of Natural Resources brought down the attacker.
The DNR officer was on duty nearby when he responded, said Marc Curtis, an attorney representing him. “I can tell you that he acted without hesitation,” Curtis said.
Searching for answers
Crews in white coveralls and hard hats searched through what remained of the church Monday morning. The suspect's silver truck with two American flags in the back remained where it had smashed into a brick wall near a sign that says “visitors welcome.”
Across the street, there was an SUV with apparent bullet holes in the windshield and driver window.
A woman who knew Sanford saw him two days before the attack and said that while she and her daughter were crossing a street, he revved up his truck and started driving toward them, causing them to jump back. Kara Pattison told WDIV-TV that Sanford was laughing and said “Oh, got you guys."
Sanford apparently used gas to start the fire and also had explosive devices, said James Dier of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Flames and smoke poured from the church for hours after the attack. The fire gutted nearly all of the building, consuming its towering white steeple and sanctuary — only its outer walls and a few side rooms remained standing.
Suspect was deployed to Iraq
According to records released by the Marine Corps, Sanford served for four years after enlisting in 2004 and was discharged at the rank of sergeant. He deployed once to Iraq for seven months and was awarded a Good Conduct Medal, indicating three years of service without any major infractions.
The shooting was the latest of several attacks on houses of worship in the U.S. over the past 20 years, including one in August that killed two children at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis.
The shooting occurred a day after Russell M. Nelson, the oldest-ever president of the Utah-based faith, died at 101. Dallin H. Oaks, expected to be the next president per church protocol, posted his condolences on social media.
“We all seek answers and understanding in the wake of trauma, shock, and grief,” he wrote. “We are grateful to all who are reaching out with service, prayers, and words of support during this difficult time.”
Shooting leaves area in state of shock
Michigan's governor, a Democrat, said she spoke with Republican President Donald Trump and that he shared his condolences. “We cannot continue living our lives like this,” Whitmer said.
Brandt Malone, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was attending services at a different church Sunday morning, said his congregation was evacuated when they heard about the attack.
“Everyone’s in a state of shock right now,” he said, adding he knows quite a few people who were in the Grand Blanc church. “We view church and our worship services really as a sanctuary.“
Associated Press reporters Corey Williams in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan; Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama; Konstantin Toropin in Washington; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; contributed to this report.
