GRAND BLANC, Mich. (NewsNation) — Authorities said Monday that all individuals are now accounted for following the deadly shooting and fire at a Sunday church service in Michigan, as investigators continue working to determine a motive.
„We still are in the process of clearing out that church, but at this time, everyone is accounted for,“ Grand Blanc Township Police Chief Bill Renye told reporters.
Five people are dead after a gunman drove his vehicle into the front of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, about 50 miles north of Detroit, before opening fire on churchgoers, authorities said. Authorities fear the death toll could rise as they search debris and scorched areas of the building, where they believe some may have been trapped.
Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson urged the community to support one another.
„I want you to think of those victims that have suffered, those families, the church, but more importantly, do your part, the best you can, wherever you can,“ he said Monday in a video message posted to social media. „Be kind to somebody, show some love, make a phone call, and be part of the healing process. But you are protected today. I promise you, we will get through this. We will overcome.“
The FBI called the incident an “act of targeted violence.”
Iraq war veteran identified as gunman in Michigan church shooting
Authorities said the suspect, identified as 40-year-old Iraq War veteran Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Mich., exchanged gunfire with police in the back of the church parking lot before being killed.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s home and were reviewing his cell phone data for clues about a potential motive.
The FBI has already interviewed more than 100 witnesses and is seeking the public’s assistance with tips, according to said Reuben Coleman, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit field office.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives said it brought a national response team, which recovered explosive devices that they’re investigating.
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Joanne Green of Fenton, 75, top right, and McKenna Harrington of Davison, 25, second from right, comfort Katelyn Kruse of Fenton, 26, center, after Kruse was present at the scene of a shooting and structure fire at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on McCandlish Road in Grand Blanc, Mich., Sept. 28, 2025. (Katy Kildee/Detroit News via AP) -
Emergency crews respond to a shooting and fire at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Grand Blanc, Mich., Sept. 28, 2025. (David Guralnick/Detroit News via AP) -
Law enforcement officers walk outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sept. 29, 2025 in Grand Blanc Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) -
Emergency responders work the scene outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following a shooting and fire in Grand Blanc, Mich., Sept. 28, 2025. (Lukas Katilius/The Flint Journal via AP) -
Emergency services respond to a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28, 2025, in Grand Blanc, Michigan. (Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty Images) -
Neighbors and other community members look on as emergency services respond to a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28, 2025, in Grand Blanc, Michigan. (Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty Images) -
Massive flames and smoke rise from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, about 50 miles north of Detroit, Sept. 28, 2025. (Julie J, @Malkowski6April via AP)
What we know about Michigan church shooting victims
At least eight victims were transferred to a local hospital; two are still in critical condition, according to Dr. Michael Danic, chief of staff at Henry Ford Genesys.
Victims ranged in age from 6 to 78, Danic said Monday. Five were treated for gunshot wounds, and three others were treated for smoke inhalation. The child was stabilized and released.
Two of the confirmed dead were killed by gunfire, and the other two victims were discovered in the church, according to Renye, who did not say how the latter two died.
When shots were fired, members inside the church shielded children and moved them to safety, authorities said. At some point during the shooting, a fire broke out, which the suspect is believed to have set using gasoline.
Michigan church shooting an act of anti-Christian violence: Trump
On social media, President Donald Trump called the incident an act of anti-Christian violence: „The suspect is dead, but there is still a lot to learn. This appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America.“
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer condemned the shooting in a statement, writing, “Violence anywhere especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable.”
New York, Texas, California ramp up church security
The incident comes nearly one month to the day after a shooting at a school and church in Minneapolis, where a gunman killed two children and wounded 14 others, as well as three elderly parishioners, as they prayed.
Some states, such as New York and Texas, as well as some cities in California, have increased police presence at places of worship.
Speculation about motive in church shooting is ‘unhelpful’: Whitmer
As investigators work to uncover a motive, Whitmer encouraged the public to refrain from speculating on the issue.
“While the good men and women who are working hard are doing so with due diligence at this juncture, speculation is unhelpful, and it can be downright dangerous,” Whitmer said at a press conference Monday.
NewsNation’s Meg Hilling contributed to this report.
