Horror in Michigan: The images of a church burning down after shooting are devastating

On Sunday, a shooting and arson attack occurred at a church in Michigan.

The assailant drove a pickup truck into the church building, began shooting at the congregation and then set fire to the building.

The chapel on McCandlish Road is the latest place of worship to be devastated by unrelenting gun violence, and the FBI is now leading the investigation into the attack as an act of targeted violence, authorities said. https://cnn.it/46YztvA

— CNN (@cnn.com) 2025-09-29T08:00:15.03357047Z

Law enforcement arrived quickly after a 911 call and confronted the gunman.

He was killed in a shootout about eight minutes after the attack began.

At least four worshippers were killed and eight others injured in the attack. Some reports indicate that two of the victims died on the spot, while others later succumbed in the fire-ravaged building.

Investigators believe the fire was started deliberately using petrol or some other accelerant. Explosive devices were also reported at the scene, prompting the Michigan State Police bomb squad to intervene outside the suspected shooter’s residence.

Political connections and unanswered questions

The suspect, later identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, was a former U.S. Marine and Iraq War veteran.

Who is Michigan church attacker Thomas Jacob Sanford: Iraq war vet ‘suffered from PTSD’ and wore ‘Make Liberals Cry Again’ shirt Full story: buff.ly/hQoCJUj

— Daily Mail (@dailymail.co.uk) 2025-09-29T11:30:15.287Z

Although the suspect has been identified, the investigation into his background and motives continues. According to articles in The Guardian and the Daily Mail, the man accused of the fatal shooting and burning at a Mormon church in Michigan is believed to have political leanings in favor of Trump.

The Daily Mail reported that a family photo showed him wearing a “Re-elect Trump 2020” T-shirt. The suspect also appeared in a Facebook post wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “Make Liberals Cry”, according to one of the posts.

According to The Guardian, Google Maps images from June show a sign with Trump’s name attached to a fence next to Sanford’s home in Burton, Michigan.

Sanford’s silver van, which he drove into the church, had two American flags on the back.

Another targeted attack

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she spoke with FBI Director Kash Patel, who told her that the suspect “hated people of the Mormon faith.”

Leavitt said investigators were still looking into the degree of planning behind the attack and whether Sanford had left a note. According to Ms. Leavitt, the FBI has executed several search warrants at the suspect’s home and at his family’s homes, and his relatives are cooperating with the investigation. She added that, while many questions remain, the FBI will “get to the bottom” of the shooter’s motives.

Ms. Leavitt refrained from confirming a definitive motive, but echoed President Trump’s characterization of the rampage as an attack on Christians.

On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I have been informed of the horrific shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan. The FBI immediately went to the scene and will conduct the federal investigation, while providing full support to state and local authorities. The suspect is dead, but there is still much to learn. This appears to be yet another targeted attack against Christians in the United States of America. The Trump administration will keep the public informed, as it always does. In the meantime, pray for the victims and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST STOP, IMMEDIATELY!”

Trump’s press secretary made the claim as officials continue to probe the shooter’s motive.

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast.bsky.social) 2025-09-29T14:19:28.529712Z