A former US Marine stormed a church in Michigan on Sunday, killing four people and injuring eight others before police shot him dead. The attacker also set the building on fire, causing extensive damage.
The shooting took place in Grand Blanc during Sunday mass, a sacred day of worship for Christians. More than a hundred people had gathered when the assailant drove a vehicle into the church and began firing indiscriminately with an assault rifle.
Police identified the gunman as 40‑year‑old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan. Sanford served in the Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq between 2004 and 2008.
Four victims were confirmed dead inside the church, while eight others were rushed to hospital with injuries. Officers initially recovered two bodies, later finding two more inside the building.
Grand Blanc Police Chief William Renye said two officers reached the scene within 30 seconds of the first shots. They confronted Sanford in the church parking lot and fatally shot him.
Authorities are still investigating the motive. Police are searching Sanford’s home and reviewing his phone records for clues.
The attack came just 14 hours after a separate mass shooting in Southport, North Carolina, where at least three people were killed and five injured in a bar.
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