A 21-year-old was arrested Monday after attempting to drive through a police barricade near The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan—the site of Sunday’s attack that killed five people, including the shooter—authorities said.
Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye confirmed the arrest during a news conference on Monday, saying authorities are investigating whether it is connected to the shooting one day prior. Officers recovered a long gun from the suspect’s red Buick, police said.
The arrest occurred as the community continues grappling with Sunday morning’s violence, when Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, rammed a pickup truck into the church building during services, opened fire and set the house of worship on fire. Two law enforcement officers, including a Department of Natural Resources officer who was nearby, shot and killed Sanford approximately eight minutes after the initial 911 call, according to police.
Where Was the Michigan Church Shooting?
The attack occurred at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on McCandlish Road in Grand Blanc Township, about 65 miles northwest of Detroit, beginning around 10:25 a.m. Sunday when hundreds of worshippers were inside for Sunday services.
At least 100 federal investigators have responded to the scene, with the FBI leading what it characterizes as an investigation of “targeted violence.” The community of roughly 40,000 residents has been left shaken by the attack, which destroyed much of the church building through fire and gunfire.
Is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a Christian Denomination?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, formerly known as the Mormon church, is a Christian denomination with nearly 47,000 members in Michigan and almost 7 million across the United States, according to the church’s website.
The Grand Blanc Township building is among several LDS churches serving the area.
What We Know About the Shooting Victims
In addition to the gunman, the attack killed four people—two who were shot and two others who died after becoming trapped inside the burning church. Eight others were wounded by gunfire.
Dr. Michael Danic, medical chief of staff at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital, told the Detroit Free Press his facility treated five patients for gunshot wounds and three for smoke inhalation, with victims ages 6 to 78. One patient with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen remained in critical condition, while another shot in the abdomen was described as “critical but mostly stable.”
A wounded child was stabilized and transferred, and one patient was treated for a gunshot wound to the leg.
One of the victims died in the emergency department.
What People Are Saying
Kris Johns, Burton City Council candidate, told the Detroit Free Press on Monday: “He just unloaded about how he felt about the Mormon church. He called it the antichrist and said a bunch of stuff that sounded like the talking points you see online. Looking back, I can’t believe it was him.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer said during a news conference Monday: “I want to caution everyone, while we are working hard, while the good men and women who are working hard are doing their due diligence at this juncture, speculation is unhelpful, and it can be downright dangerous. So just ask that people lower the temperature of rhetoric.”
John Dier, special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said during a Monday news conference: “I offer my deepest sympathy and condolences to this community and to those families affected by this tragedy of this horrific act of violence. There is no place in our society. There’s absolutely no place, but it’s become all too common, and as we know, we know, we have become more desensitized.”
Renye said during a Monday news conference: “Evil. This was an evil act of violence. That’s exactly what this was. And this is not Grand Blanc, this does not define Grand Blanc and who we are. We are a community, and I am confident that together, we’re going to build a stronger community due to this incident.”
What Happens Next
Authorities are working to determine whether Monday’s barricade incident is connected to Sunday’s deadly attack.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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