Authorities in Michigan say all missing worshippers have now been accounted for after a gunman drove a truck into a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel, opened fire during Sunday service, and set the building ablaze in Grand Blanc Township.
Police confirmed Monday that four people were killed and eight others injured in the assault, which began just after 11 a.m. Among the wounded, some suffered gunshot injuries while others were treated for smoke inhalation.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Iraq War veteran Thomas Jacob Sanford, was “taken down” by responding officers within minutes, Police Chief William Renye told reporters. Sanford’s family is said to be cooperating with the FBI as investigators examine the attack as an act of targeted violence.
Henry Ford Genesys Hospital received eight patients ranging in age from six to 78. Five sustained gunshot wounds, including a child who was later transferred, and three were treated for smoke inhalation. One gunshot victim succumbed to injuries, while two others remain in critical condition.
Renye described the incident as an “evil act” but vowed the township would recover. “This is not Grand Blanc. This does not define who we are,” he said.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered flags lowered across the state and called the massacre another painful reminder of America’s gun violence epidemic. “We’ve seen gun violence in our schools, stores, parades, festivals and our houses of worship. These are places where we go to feel safe. Today that sense of safety was shattered again,” she said.
The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump spoke with Whitmer to convey his condolences.
Sunday’s tragedy marks the 324th mass shooting in the United States this year, adding to a grim list of attacks on places of worship, including a Catholic church in Minneapolis, a synagogue in Pittsburgh, and a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.
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