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7h ago

FBI: Michigan LDS Church Attack Was Targeted, Driven by Anti-Mormon Beliefs

Agents confirmed four fatalities, nine wounded, with the investigation still open.

Crosses, in memory of the four people killed when a man rammed his vehicle into the church before opening fire and setting the building ablaze, stand near the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Mich., on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Isabella Volmert)
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Overview

  • FBI Detroit special agent in charge Jennifer Runyan said the Sept. 28 assault was a targeted act driven by anti‑Mormon animus.
  • Authorities put the toll at five dead, including the assailant, and nine wounded.
  • The gunman was identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, a former Marine killed by police at the scene.
  • Police say he rammed a pickup into the Grand Blanc Township meetinghouse, opened fire with an assault rifle, and used an accelerant that left the building a total loss.
  • The FBI said more than 100 personnel are working the case and that the investigation remains active; the four victims were identified by family and friends as Craig Hayden, William “Pat” Howard, John Bond and Thelma Armstrong.