Thomas Jacob Sanford, a War Veteran, Named as Suspect in Michigan LDS Church Shooting and Fire – Latest Updates
On the morning of September 28, 2025, what began as a peaceful Sunday service at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, quickly turned into a scene of horror and heartbreak. Members of the congregation had gathered in quiet prayer when suddenly, violence erupted without warning. According to eyewitness accounts and official reports, a gunman forcefully entered the church, opening fire on the people inside and then setting the building ablaze in an attack described by law enforcement as deliberate and premeditated. The suspect has been identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, a former U.S. Marine from nearby Burton, Michigan. Shortly after the attack began, police responded swiftly and confronted Sanford outside the church. In the ensuing confrontation, officers fatally shot him just minutes after the violence erupted. Authorities have confirmed multiple fatalities, with several people injured and…