A Marine veteran killed two and injured nine in a Michigan LDS church attack before dying in a police shootout.
Authorities have identified the gunman who killed two people and injured nine others at a Latter-day Saints church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, on Sunday. Police confirmed the attacker as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, a Marine veteran from Burton, Michigan.
Sanford reportedly rammed his Chevy Silverado into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before opening fire with a semi-automatic rifle. Law enforcement said he died during a shootout with officers at the scene.
Witnesses said hundreds of worshippers were inside the church when the assault began. The building was later engulfed in flames, with authorities recovering several improvised explosive devices on the property.
Social media posts suggest Sanford, who served in Iraq from 2004 to 2008, was married with a young son. A 2015 GoFundMe page raised funds for his child, who was born with a rare medical condition.
Investigators are still working to determine the source of the fire as aerial footage showed the church consumed by heavy smoke.