A Sunday morning service turned into chaos in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
A gunman rammed a vehicle into a crowded church, opened fire, and then set it ablaze.
Four people are dead, at least eight are wounded — and investigators say the toll could rise.
But why this church, and why now?
Police have identified the attacker as 40-year-old Marine Corps veteran Thomas Jacob Sanford.
Armed with an assault-style rifle and accelerant believed to be gasoline.
He stormed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This happened just after 10:25 a.m.
Authorities say hundreds were inside. “He fired several rounds at individuals within the church,” Police Chief William Renye said.
He praised parishioners who hid children as bullets flew.
What About The Suspect?
Sanford was shot dead by officers eight minutes after the rampage began.
The FBI has taken over the case, deploying crisis teams and bomb experts, and is also chasing down multiple bomb threats at other sites.
“Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer called it “unacceptable.”
Mitt Romney, one of the most prominent Mormon politicians, said he was praying for healing.
For now, the question lingers: what drove a veteran to turn a sanctuary into a battlefield?
