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The quiet town of Grand Blanc, Michigan, was shaken on Sunday when a gunman rammed his vehicle into a church, opened fire on worshippers, and set the building ablaze. At least four people were killed and eight others injured in the attack at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before police fatally shot the suspect in the church car park.
Authorities identified the gunman as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, a former U.S. Marine from the nearby town of Burton. While the motive remains unclear, details emerging about Sanford’s past paint a picture of a man whose life included military service, personal struggles, and family hardship.
Read also:What we know about Thomas Jacob Sanford, suspect in Michigan church attack
Here are five things to know about the Michigan church attacker:
1. A marine veteran with service in Iraq
Sanford graduated from Goodrich High School in 2004 and soon joined the U.S. Marine Corps. Military records confirm he served from 2004 to 2008 and was deployed to Iraq. Local news reports from 2007 also show he had been stationed in Japan before preparing to head to the Middle East.
2. A devoted father facing a child’s rare illness
Sanford’s family life was marked by challenges. His son was born with congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI), a rare genetic disorder requiring expensive medical care. In 2015, a GoFundMe campaign raised over $3,000 to help cover costs. A local article from the time quoted Sanford saying: “Don’t ever take having healthy kids for granted. We are proud of our child. I spent four years in the Marine Corps and was in Iraq and this is still the most unique thing to deal with.”
Read also: Meet Dosunmu-Ogunbi, first black woman to bag a PhD in Robotics Engineering at Michigan
3. Financial strain and personal hardship
The child’s condition placed a heavy financial and emotional burden on the family. Reports indicate Sanford took leave from his job as a truck driver with Coca-Cola to be with his son during medical treatments. Social media photos from the period showed the family posing together in sunflower fields and pickup trucks, portraying an outwardly ordinary life despite inner struggles.
4. The attack that stunned a community
On Sunday morning, Sanford drove a pickup truck into the church entrance during service, when “hundreds” were gathered inside. He then opened fire with an assault-style rifle and, at some point, ignited a blaze that left the building engulfed in smoke. Police exchanged gunfire with him, killing him within eight minutes of the first attack. Two victims died from gunshot wounds; two others were later confirmed dead, with more still unaccounted for as fire crews continued to clear the wreckage.
5. Echoes of another Marine-linked shooting
In a striking coincidence, another Marine veteran, also 40 and also an Iraq war veteran, was arrested less than 14 hours earlier in North Carolina for a separate shooting that left three people dead and five injured. Authorities have not linked the two cases, but the parallel is fuelling debate about the long-term impact of combat service and post-war struggles among U.S. veterans.
Donald Trump, President of the United States said he had been briefed on the shooting, and confirmed the FBI will be leading the federal investigation. Writing on Truth Social, he described it as “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America”.
Pam Bondi, US Attorney General said in a post on X that she had received briefings on “what appears to be a horrific shooting and fire” at the church. “Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling,” Bondi said. “Please join me in praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy.”
Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Governor condemned the incident, saying: “Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” adding that she was monitoring the situation.
