Thomas Sanford, a 40-year-old former U.S. Marine, fatally attacked a Mormon church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, and set a fire that killed four people. Sanford, who was killed by police at the scene, reportedly expressed strong animosity toward the Mormon faith in the days leading up to the attack.
Friends and social media posts described Sanford driving a pickup truck adorned with a deer skull, antlers, and two large American flags. He crashed the vehicle into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel, destroying the building.
Kris Johns, a city council candidate in Burton, said he met Sanford while canvassing voters last week. Sanford initially seemed pleasant but became “unhinged” when he began discussing the Mormon church. Johns said Sanford referenced temple ceremonies, including “sealing,” and expressed frustration over being asked to remove his tattoos.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that the FBI found Sanford “hated people of the Mormon faith.” Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton said his office obtained warrants to search Sanford’s home, vehicles, and electronics to determine his motives.
Sanford and his family lived next to Eastgate Baptist Church in Burton, though he never attended it. Pastor Jerome Taylor described him as a typical blue-collar neighbor who occasionally discussed fallen trees with the church.
A family friend, Kara Pattison, saw Sanford at the Goodrich High School homecoming parade two days before the attack, noting that he startled them by speeding past while laughing.
Sanford served in the Marines from 2004 to 2008, including seven months in Iraq, and was discharged as a sergeant. In 2015, his infant son received treatment in Texas for hyperinsulinism, a rare condition causing high insulin levels. Sanford called the doctor’s help a “sign from heaven,” saying, “We put our faith to the wind and it took us to Texas.”
Under Michigan law, police, family, or health professionals can petition to temporarily remove guns from someone for mental health concerns, but no such petitions had been filed against Sanford. Authorities continue investigating the shooting to determine his exact motives.
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