Police identify suspect in mass shooting at Grand Blanc Township church

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Police have identified the Michigan church shooter as Thomas Jacob Sandford,
a forty year old from Burton, Michigan. The attack took
place on Sunday, September twenty eighth, twenty twenty five, during
a service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints in Grand Bloc Township. Sandford was killed in

(00:23):
a shootout with officers after the incident. Sandford is believed
to have driven his pickup trucket at the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Police said he then
got out of the truck and started firing shots from
an assault rifle. Police said the shooting happened at ten
twenty five am Sunday, September twenty eighth, twenty twenty five,

(00:46):
at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
in the four thousand, two hundred block of McCandlish Road
in Grand Bloc Township. Police said at one pm Sunday
that ten people from the church had been taken to
nearby hospitals. Two of those people have been pronounced dead.
The second person who died was pronounced dead from gunshot

(01:07):
wounds at a hospital. Police said they are still hourly
in the investigation, and they are working to try to
figure out Sandford's motive. They're searching his home in Burton.
They also said they will go through his cell phone records.
A third update from police is expected at eight p m.
Some day. The FBI sent one hundred agents to the

(01:30):
scene to help authorities interview the many witnesses who were
at the church. Authorities believe that Sandford acted alone and
they have no other suspects. They said there is no
further danger to the public. Our thoughts and prayers go
out to the victims of this incident, which was completely
unnecessary and avoidable, Renai said. Local force Nick mo Natchelly

(01:53):
confirmed that three IEDs were found inside Sandford's pickup truck
during the police investigation. My heart is breaking for the
Grand Blanc community. Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship,
is unacceptable. I am grateful to the first responders who
took action quickly. We will continue to monitor this situation

(02:16):
and hold the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day
Saints in Grand Blanc close. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. According
to military records, Sandford was a Marine Corps veteran who
was deployed to Iraq from two thousand seven to two
thousand eight