A 40-year-old former Marine, Thomas Jacob Sanford, rammed his car into a Mormon church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, during a Sunday service, then opened fire on hundreds of worshipers, killing two and injuring at least eight before being shot dead by authorities.
On Sunday, September 28, 2025, at approximately 10:25 a.m., 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, a former Marine and Iraq War veteran, drove his car into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. After crashing into the building, he opened fire on the hundreds of worshipers inside, including children. The attack resulted in two fatalities and at least eight injuries, with one victim in critical condition and seven in stable condition. A fire also broke out, suspected to have been started by Sanford, causing severe damage to the church building. Authorities responded quickly, exchanging gunfire with Sanford in the church parking lot and killing him at 10:33 a.m., just minutes after the initial reports. Police, assisted by the FBI, later established a significant presence at Sanford's home in Burton, Michigan, using drones to search for potential explosives. The motive for the attack is currently unknown.
