At least one person is dead and ten others injured after a gunman drove his vehicle into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, and opened fire on congregants during Sunday service, authorities confirmed.
Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye told reporters the suspect, a 40-year-old man from Burton, Michigan, rammed his car through the church’s front doors before stepping out and firing multiple rounds at worshippers. Police engaged the suspect in a shootout, fatally wounding him.
Several victims remain in critical condition, and officials warned the number of casualties may rise as the scene is further secured.
Hundreds of people, including families with children, were attending the two-hour service when the attack unfolded. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints later issued a statement describing the incident as a “tragic act of violence” and emphasized that places of worship are meant to be “sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection.”
President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the “horrendous shooting,” adding that the FBI is leading a federal investigation. Calling the event “another targeted attack on Christians,” Trump urged Americans to pray for the victims and declared that “this epidemic of violence in our country must end, immediately.” Vice President JD Vance echoed the sentiment, writing on social media that the administration is closely monitoring developments.
This shooting marks at least the 324th mass shooting in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. It came less than 24 hours after another mass shooting in Southport, North Carolina, where three people were killed and at least eight injured in a bar attack.
Investigators remain at the Grand Blanc church as families and the wider community grapple with the shock of another deadly outbreak of gun violence.
