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Four Dead, Eight Injured in Michigan Latter-day Saints Church Attack

Authorities caution that casualty figures remain provisional pending a motive inquiry.

Overview

  • Police say the attacker rammed the Grand Blanc church with a car, opened fire with an assault-style rifle and was then neutralized at the scene.
  • Agency updates report a provisional toll of four dead and eight injured, with children among the victims.
  • Fire crews extinguished the blaze in roughly an hour, and officials warned the fire could have caused additional fatalities inside the building.
  • Media reports identify the suspect as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, described as a Marine veteran via his mother's Facebook post, though officials have not confirmed his identity or a motive.
  • Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer condemned the violence at a house of worship, and national officials, including the president and the FBI director, issued statements as the investigation continues.