Michigan LDS Church Attack: Four Dead, FBI Leads Probe; Calls for Accountability

Death Toll Climbs to 4 in Attack on LDS Church in Michigan, Unknown Number of Congregants Unaccounted For

• Four people have been confirmed dead and several more wounded after an attack at an LDS church in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
• The FBI has taken the lead and authorities are treating this as targeted violence with possible explosives and arson involved.
• Investigations continue and the full press conference is available for viewing below.

Local and federal officials gave a brief update Sunday night after a chaotic morning at the LDS church in Grand Blanc. The scene involved gunfire, a fire set with an accelerant, and the discovery of suspected explosive devices that investigators say were not used to ignite the blaze. Families and neighbors remain on edge as responders comb the site for answers.

What we know so far

Authorities confirm four people are dead: two from gunshot wounds and two bodies found inside the church. One person is in critical condition while seven others are listed as stable, and an unknown number of congregants are still unaccounted for. The initial 911 call was logged at 10:25 A.M. and the shooter was neutralized by 10:33 A.M., according to officials.

• Investigators believe the shooter used an accelerant, likely gasoline, to set parts of the church on fire.
• Suspected explosive devices were located at the scene; however, investigators say there is no evidence the devices caused the fire.
• The FBI is the lead agency and is treating the incident as an act of targeted violence with ongoing bomb threats reported in the area.
• The shooter has been identified in reporting as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, an Iraq War veteran who has a son with a congenital hyperinsulinism.

The investigation is active and evolving, with federal bomb squads and local detectives still processing the scene. Authorities urge anyone with information or footage from the area between 10:20 and 10:40 A.M. to come forward to help reconstruct the timeline. Community leaders are organizing support for victims and families as updates unfold.