This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free Bridge Michigan newsletter here.
GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP — All churchgoers have now been “accounted for” after a mass shooting and fire at a Mormon church in Michigan on Sunday that left five dead, including the shooter, and at least 11 injured, authorities said Monday.
While officials have not yet released identifying information about the victims, they said eight people ages 6 to 78 were treated at Henry Ford Health Genesys Hospital in the aftermath of the attack at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township.
Five of those victims had suffered gunshot wounds and three had injuries from smoke inhalation, Dr. Michael Danic, medical chief of staff at the facility, told reporters at a Monday press conference.
Two of those with smoke-related injuries have since been discharged, and another remains hospitalized and intubated.
Of those with gunshot injuries, Danic said, one person sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the chest and abdomen and remains in critical condition, while others sustained injuries to the abdomen, leg and arm. One of the shooting victims died in the emergency department after the attack.
Several resident physicians who treated the patients were members of the church and responded immediately, Danic said, calling those on scene “absolute heroes.”
“Not only were they victims, they were also first responders, and having your friends and family come in injured and taking care of them is a really incredible experience,” Danic said.
As of Sunday night, authorities were still searching the fire-ravaged church for potential victims. But “everyone has been accounted for” now, Grand Blanc Police Chief William Renye said Monday.
Whitmer mourns ‘another mass shooting’
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in addressing the public Monday afternoon, thanking medical professionals who treated the victims, along with a Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer and a local Grand Blanc police officer who worked to “take down the shooter” outside the church.
“I think we can see the best of public service in all of these individuals,” the governor said.
Michigan knows “the pain of this all too well,” said Whitmer, who similarly spoke after mass shootings at Oxford High School in 2021 and Michigan State University in 2023.
“I’m here as the governor, but I’m also here as a fellow Michigander whose heart is breaking by another mass shooting in a place that is supposed to be defined by togetherness,” Whitmer said.
“These are places that we go to feel connected, to feel safe, to be together, but today, this place has been shattered by bullets and broken glass,” she continued. “And this might be a familiar pain, but it hurts all the same every time. We cannot keep living our lives like this.”
Whitmer said she spoke about the incident on Sunday with President Donald Trump, who she said “sends his condolences.” In a social media post after the shooting, Trump urged the public to pray for the victims and their families, adding, “THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!”
Whitmer on Monday also cautioned against “speculation” as the investigation continues, saying it can be unhelpful and even dangerous.
“I just ask that people lower the temperature of rhetoric,” she said. “Keep your loved ones close, and keep this community close to your hearts.”
Earlier Monday, US Sen. Elissa Slotkin — a Democrat whose Holly farm is located just a few miles away from the tragedy — and other local leaders met with law enforcement for a briefing on the shooting and subsequent fire.
Slotkin, Democratic US Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet and Republican state Reps. Mike Mueller and David Martin, all of whom represent the region, urged the public to stand in solidarity with victims and condemn violence without devolving into political divisiveness.
“I live just down the street … it’s where I come to eat and where I come to visit and drive by every day,” Slotkin told reporters outside the Grand Blanc Township police station. “It doesn’t matter what party you’re from, this kind of thing just chills you to the bone.”
Ongoing investigation
Authorities previously identified the suspect as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of nearby Burton. Online records showed Sanford, an Iraq War veteran, had owned a small brick home there since 2016.
As of Monday afternoon, law enforcement had not publicly identified any of the victims.
The FBI is leading the joint investigation. Authorities worked through the night and have so far interviewed more than 100 victims and witnesses, said Reuben Coleman, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit field office.
“The FBI is investigating this as an act of targeted violence,” he reiterated. “We are continuing to work to determine a motive.”
Authorities declined to say whether Sanford had any personal connections to the Grand Blanc church or the wider Mormon faith.
Sanford was previously arrested for suspected burglary and operating while intoxicated, according to Renye, the Grand Blanc police chief. He declined to say where those prior arrests occurred.
Calling the situation an “evil act of violence,” Renye said Monday that he was confident that the community would recover and heal.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives continues to assess a series of “improvised explosive devices that were recovered during this investigation,” said Special Agent James Deir.
ATF has brought in a “world renowned” national response team as part of the ongoing probe, Deir said.
Authorities have barricaded the road by the church. But an additional arrest has been made after a person drove through that barricade, Renye confirmed. A 21-year-old person is in custody following the incident, he said, noting it’s not clear if it was related to the prior day’s attack.
Law enforcement agencies asked the public to continue to contact local law enforcement with tips and other potentially relevant information, as well as steer clear of the church property while the investigation continues.
This article first appeared on Bridge Michigan and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
