By Eniola Amadu
No fewer than four people have been reported dead and eight others injured after a gunman drove a vehicle into a church, opened fire and set the building ablaze in Michigan, United States.
The incident occurred at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, a town located about 100 kilometres northwest of Detroit, during a service attended by hundreds of worshippers.
Police identified the attacker as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, from Burton, Michigan. He was shot dead by officers in the church’s car park shortly after the assault.
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Authorities said the attack is being investigated as an “act of targeted violence”, though the motive remains unclear.
Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye confirmed that two victims died from gunshot wounds, while two more were later found dead as officials continued to clear the fire-damaged building. Some worshippers were still unaccounted for late Sunday night.
Chief Renye explained that Sanford drove into the church at around 10:25 local time and fired several rounds with an assault-style rifle.
Officers engaged him within minutes, killing him at 10:33. Police also said the suspect used an accelerant, believed to be gasoline, to start the fire.
Renye praised church members for their bravery, saying some sheltered children during the incident.
Investigators are searching the suspect’s property and examining his phone records. Records also show Sanford was a Marine Corps veteran, according to CBS, a BBC partner in the US.
The FBI has taken charge of the investigation, deploying crisis response teams, bomb technicians and more than 100 agents to Grand Blanc.
Michigan State Police said officers also responded to bomb threats at other locations, which were later cleared.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed the attack in a statement, saying: “We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”
Political leaders have also reacted. President Donald Trump said the FBI would lead the investigation, describing the assault as “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States.”
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Attorney General Pam Bondi called the shooting “heartbreaking and chilling,” while Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer condemned it as “unacceptable.”
Former senator Mitt Romney described it as a tragedy and expressed solidarity with the victims.
