MI, Grand Blanc - Mass Shooting at Mormon Church, fire, 28 Sept 2025

[vls12345]

Grand Blanc Township church shooting live updates: What we know about victims, suspect

The latest news on the shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township on Sept. 28, 2025.

www.freep.com

At least three explosive devices appeared to have been found in the church, but it was unclear whether they were connected to how the church blaze started, an officials said Sunday.

 

[JoeFromLB]

Megan Connor can be approved as a source on this case only. However, if Megan states something as a rumor or opinion, please do not post it here as fact. Megan is very factual and will always make it clear when she is discussing facts.
Thank you.
Tricia
PS. I know Megan personally and she is very reliable and clear when she is reporting facts.

She is also careful to say when she is purely speculating. A very good source though. The facts so far lead one to think he was very angry at the Mormon church. We hope to know more about his specific reasons as the investigation proceeds.

 

[Arkay]

I find this uptake in violence unsettling at the very least.

So much vitriol which incites those that are struggling, to find a cause, to find a way to be heard, or be “important”.

The defencelessness of the innocents is terrifying. Sitting in a place of worship where kindness and civility is practiced only to be murdered “just because”.

There is no defence against the violence.

Enjoying an evening in a restaurant.

Enjoying a celebration on New Year’s Eve.

Worshipping in church.

No place is sacred.

The rules of civility no longer apply.

We’ve seen this before.

History DOES repeat itself. It always has.

I fear what is to come for the world. We are entering very dangerous times.

MOO

Unfortunately it does have the foreboding feeling that we are all potential sitting ducks, trying to avoid the whack-a-mole of who, where and when the next mass attack will come.

We cannot live this way, though. We have to live the best we can.

It’s difficult of course, because this isn’t the same as let’s say a woman walking alone at night taking what precautions are available. These attacks are anywhere, anytime, often by whom we would consider unlikely perpetrators.

As a New Yorker I was raised with certain safety protocols in mind. Big city, lots of people, I probably wouldn’t have looked twice at someone like a Kohberger stomping around a Costco.

But these attacks seem so random, except to the diseased mind of a killer nursing some kind of grudge that we cannot detect in time.

The news now as described in MSM above seems to point to him seeing LDS as a false church.

I don’t think Jesus would have advised him to slaughter, if that’s the case.

JMO

 

[NervousNellie]

Press Conference going on now. I think this is a link to LE;s FB page which is playing it live.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2210713286105988

Governor Whitmer just spoke.

I will look for a MSM link.

 

[NervousNellie]

ABC12 Live stream is a few moments behind the FB video, I think. Also more close up.

Livestream

Watch ABC12 News

www.abc12.com

 

[NervousNellie]

Confirmed 5 dead.
Everyone is accounted for at this time.

 

[NervousNellie]

Five dead includes the shooter.

This will be the last press conference. Updates will be by social media.

 

[indicolite22]

I could be wrong, but she seems to be suggesting it was a disgruntled Mormon situation.

I don't think the attacker was Mormon himself. Someone who spoke to him just a week earlier talked to the media (as mentioned earlier on this thread) about the attacker's extreme stance towards the LDS church.

 

[Elley Mae]

Michigan church shooter Thomas Sanford called Mormonism ‘the antichrist’ in hateful tirade to city council candidate

Michigan church shooter Thomas Sanford called Mormonism ‘the antichrist’ in hateful tirade to city council candidate

Michigan church shooter Thomas Sanford raged against Mormons to a candidate for city council in his hometown just days before burning a Latter-day Saints church to the ground and opening fire at co…

nypost.com

 

[Diddian]

In the press conference, the police chief said the perpetrator had previous arrests for burglary and OWI. Does anyone know what OWI is? Is it like DUI?

ETA: Never mind, I should have looked it up first. Operating while under the influence.

 

[tara83]

I don't think the attacker was Mormon himself. Someone who spoke to him just a week earlier talked to the media (as mentioned earlier on this thread) about the attacker's extreme stance towards the LDS church.

It sounds like he had a girlfriend when he lived in Utah who was a Morman and he attended with her

 

[DS2021]

Confirmed 5 dead.
Everyone is accounted for at this time.

Glad to hear the other 7 were found safe

 

[detective.moon]

i’m not very knowledgeable about the LDS church (except that i know they are very good at teaching languages to their missionaries!), are there specific groups that have issues with their beliefs? is it a common thing for conspiracy thinkers to say they are “the antichrist”? do other christian churches have issues with the LDS church? (trying to understand more of the context and whether this is one random man or some kind of movement, of course this is all horrible no matter what )

 

[Ontario Mom]

Michigan church shooter Thomas Sanford called Mormonism ‘the antichrist’ in hateful tirade to city council candidate

Michigan church shooter Thomas Sanford called Mormonism ‘the antichrist’ in hateful tirade to city council candidate

Michigan church shooter Thomas Sanford raged against Mormons to a candidate for city council in his hometown just days before burning a Latter-day Saints church to the ground and opening fire at co…

nypost.com

There are countless people that disagree with Mormonism but they don't go around murdering people over it. There's got to be something that was deeper, going on with this guy.

 

[Ontario Mom]

i’m not very knowledgeable about the LDS church (except that i know they are very good at teaching languages to their missionaries!), are there specific groups that have issues with their beliefs? is it a common thing for conspiracy thinkers to say they are “the antichrist”? do other christian churches have issues with the LDS church? (trying to understand more of the context and whether this is one random man or some kind of movement, of course this is all horrible no matter what )

Yes, many Christian churches and/or denominations would completely disagree with Mormon doctrine, but I genuinely don't believe that's the reason for the evil slaughter of innocent people.

ETA: it would have been SUPER helpful to know who he followed on social media to understand who/what his influences were on the teachings of Mormonism. There are some wacky extremists online and the "fruit" of their ministries is pretty awful.

jmo

 

[Chimera]

Exclusive | Iraq War veteran Thomas Sanford ID’d as gunman who attacked Grand Blanc LDS church, killing 4 and setting it ablaze

The deranged madman who killed at least four people and injured eight others at a Michigan Latter-day Saints church, torching the building and opening fire on fleeing congregants and their families…

nypost.com

“We at first thought someone had accidentally crashed into the church, so we went out to help him,” the man told the local TV station.

Paul Kirby, 38, who also ran outside to render assistance, believing it to be an accident, told the New York Times he saw the man getting out of the truck from about 10 to 20 yards away before he realized what was happening.
Rbm.
Both the bolded indicates (imo) the different mindset of a killer compared to the victims at this church.

It made me tear up to think that they would have probably helped him if he'd asked before the murders.
Whether it was issues with his sick child or grievances against the Mormon church or whatever, I believe they'd have listened to him if he'd gone to the church ; and tried to get Thomas needed assistance, from their fellowship --or directed him towards professional help.

There is no excuse for what T.J.S. did.

When a perp decides to target innocent people (& he knew there were young children in that service, the most helpless of us all ! ); any grievance they may have had, goes out the window, imo.

Motive : PTSD, ill child, anger at the church leadership, injustice collector ?
Whatever -- by his actions that day he showed who he was.
I am sorry for his parents, wife and child and any other relatives and friends he has now betrayed in the worst way.
Omo.

 

[JoeFromLB]

There are countless people that disagree with Mormonism but they don't go around murdering people over it. There's got to be something that was deeper, going on with this guy.

Do we know what happened to his son who had the rare disease? There's speculation that he may have had numerous Mormon priesthood blessings for healing. Is he still alive?

 

[Ontario Mom]

Do we know what happened to his son who had the rare disease? There's speculation that he may have had numerous Mormon priesthood blessings for healing. Is he still alive?

I must have missed some info since I haven't read or heard anything about that. Do you have a link?

 

[Chimera]

In the press conference, the police chief said the perpetrator had previous arrests for burglary and OWI. Does anyone know what OWI is? Is it like DUI?

ETA: Never mind, I should have looked it up first. Operating while under the influence.

Curious ... it sounds like he was on a downward trajectory for some time ?
Red flags ?

 

[CityKid]

I cannot recall someone deliberately starting a massive fire like this in a building full of people, except on 9/11/2001. It takes some effort and planning to start such an inferno, IMO.

The Happy Land fire in the Bronx is one that was local-ish to me. Perp's gf worked there, he showed up, she had the bouncer kick him out, he came back later with a gas can. The gf was one of the few survivors.

Happy Land fire - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org