Police identified the suspect responsible for the shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford.
Police provided little information about Sanford, a resident of Burton, Michigan, at their 5 p.m. ET press conference where they named him. More information is expected at a press conference scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
According to public records reviewed by Newsweek, Sanford was a veteran whose only legal issue arose from an apparent dispute over rent payment in Utah. A later mortgage loan through the Veterans Administration taken out in 2021 against his property Michigan, indicating he served in the U.S. military, although it is currently unclear in which branch he served.
However, his truck had a license plate with “IRAQ” on it, as well as window decals that remain unidentified.
Sanford rammed his truck through the front doors of the church on Sunday morning during service and purposefully set fire to the building. Sanford opened fire with an assault rifle before trying to flee the scene in his vehicle, during which the police opened fire and killed him. Police are still working to determine motive.
This is a breaking news story. Updates will follow.
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