At least four people have been killed and several others injured after a gunman drove a vehicle into a church in Michigan, opened fire on worshippers, and then set the building on fire, according to police.
The attack took place on Sunday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, about 60 miles (100km) northwest of Detroit, during a service attended by hundreds of people.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan, was shot and killed by police in the church car park minutes after the rampage began. Authorities are treating the incident as a “targeted act of violence” but have not yet determined a motive.
Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye told reporters that two of the victims died from gunshot wounds. Some people remain unaccounted for after a fire caused extensive damage to the church building.
Police said the attack began at around 10:25am local time when Sanford rammed his vehicle into the church before firing multiple rounds from an assault-style rifle at people inside. Officers responded immediately and exchanged gunfire with the attacker, killing him at 10:33am — just eight minutes after the shooting started.
Chief Renye said investigators believe the fire was deliberately set by the suspect. Authorities are now searching Sanford’s property and reviewing his phone records in an effort to determine a motive.
The FBI has taken the lead in the investigation, deploying crisis response teams, bomb technicians and other personnel to the scene. Michigan State Police said they had also responded to and cleared additional bomb threats at several other locations.
In a statement, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed the shooting and said “multiple individuals were injured,” adding, “We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”
More than 100 FBI agents are assisting local authorities. President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the attack and confirmed that the FBI would lead the federal investigation, describing it on Truth Social as “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America.”
US Attorney General Pam Bondi called the shooting and fire “heartbreaking and chilling,” while Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer condemned the violence as “unacceptable,” saying she was closely monitoring the situation.
Former US senator and prominent Mormon politician Mitt Romney called the shooting a “tragedy” and said he was praying for “healing and comforting” for the victims and their families.
