Updated September 29, 2025 at 2:37 PM MDT
Law enforcement authorities in Michigan continue to sift through the burned-out church that was the site of a deadly attack Sunday morning, leaving four people and the suspect dead and another eight victims injured.
But Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said authorities are not aware of any other possible victims still missing.
"We have not completed searching the church," Renye said during a Monday afternoon press conference. But as far as officials know, he added, "everyone has been accounted for."
The attack unfolded Sunday morning during a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints service in Grand Blanc Township, located about 60 miles northwest of Detroit.
Law enforcement authorities say Thomas Jacob Sanford, a 40-year-old Marine veteran from nearby Burton, carried out the deadly attack. Sanford was killed in a shootout with police.
The FBI, which is leading the investigation, is investigating the attack as an "act of targeted violence."
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer thanked first responders for their swift actions and said her heart was breaking after another mass shooting in the state.
"We've seen gun violence in our schools, stores, parades, festivals and our houses of worship. These are places that we go to feel connected, to feel safe, to be together," she said. "But today, this place has been shattered by bullets and broken glass."
The Grand Blanc Community Schools System said all of its 13 campuses would be closed Monday, ranging from pre-school to high school.
How it happened
Police say the Sunday service was interrupted when Sanford rammed his truck through the front doors of the church, exited his vehicle and began firing what authorities described as an assault rifle on the hundreds of worshippers inside.
Sanford also intentionally set fire to the church using an accelerant — likely gasoline, officials said — causing the building to erupt in flames. Photos of the church after the attack showed a charred structure that had partially collapsed.
According to Renye, police officers responded to the scene of the attack Sunday morning within 30 seconds of the first emergency call going out. Within eight minutes of their arrival, Sanford was killed in a shootout with police.
Who were the victims?
Law enforcement officials have released little information about the victims.
But Dr. Michael Danic, the medical chief of staff at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital, said his hospital has treated eight victims of the attack ranging in age from 6 to 78.
Five of the patients were gunshot victims, including one who sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen and was in critical condition early Monday afternoon. The other three patients suffered from smoke inhalation.
Danic said some hospital staffers were also members of the church.
"We had a number of our [resident physicians] who are members of the church and were on site. Not only were they victims, they were also first responders," he said. "And having your friends and family come in injured, and taking care of them, is a really incredible experience."
Who was the attacker?
Sanford served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2004 to 2008, military officials confirmed to NPR. He completed one tour in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 and into 2008 with a combat logistics regiment and attained the rank of sergeant, the Marines said.
Law enforcement officials have not speculated on Sanford's motive for Sunday's attack.
Renye said Monday afternoon that investigators had interviewed over 100 victims and witnesses and were continuing to conduct interviews to get a clearer picture of what happened and why.
Copyright 2025 NPR