How Grand Blanc police neutralized the Michigan Church shooter, Thomas Jacob Sanford in just 8 minutes? Trump calls it ‘targeted attack on Christians’

In a harrowing act of violence on Sunday, September 28, 2025, a gunman opened fire inside a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, killing at least two individuals and injuring several others. The assailant, identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford from Burton, Michigan, was neutralized by law enforcement within eight minutes of the attack.

Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye reported that officers received the first 911 call and arrived on the scene within 30 seconds. Within eight minutes, Sanford was confronted and fatally shot by law enforcement officers. The FBI is leading the federal investigation, with a team of agents deployed to assist state and local authorities.

Grand Blanc resident Tony Deck told USA Today that he drove by the church after hearing sirens and saw “at least four yellow canvases over dead bodies.”


Sanford drove a pickup truck into the church's front doors during a Sunday service attended by hundreds. He then exited the vehicle and began shooting with an assault rifle. Authorities believe he deliberately set the building on fire, causing significant structural damage. The fire was extinguished by firefighters between noon and 1 pm, and two additional bodies were found inside the church after the blaze was contained.

Trump’s reaction

President Donald Trump said he has been briefed on the ‘horrendous’ shooting.

“The FBI was immediately on scene, and will be leading the Federal Investigation, and providing full support to State and Local Officials. The suspect is dead, but there is still a lot to learn,” he posted on Truth Social. “This appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America. The Trump Administration will keep the Public posted, as we always do. In the meantime, PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!”

Sanford, a former US Marine who served in Iraq from 2004 to 2008, was identified as the shooter. Investigators are conducting a search of his residence and digital media to determine a motive. Reports indicate that Sanford had a family, including a 10-year-old son with a rare genetic condition.

According to New York post website, an inactive GoFundMe page from 2015 collected over $3,000 to support the his son,who was born with congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI), a rare genetic disorder in which the pancreas produces excessive insulin.

The attack occurred one day after the death of Russell M. Nelson, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.