Michigan law enforcement authorities identified 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan as the suspect who killed four people and injured eight others when he rammed a pickup truck into a church in central Michigan and opened fire.
Thomas Jacob Sanford is reportedly a US Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq from 2004 to 2008, according to information shared on his mother’s Facebook page.
A photo circulating online appears to show a vehicle with an Iraq veteran sticker on its license plate.
Other images, allegedly from social media accounts linked to Sanford, show him posing with firearms and hunting trophies. In several photos, he is seen alongside animals he reportedly shot while hunting.
The same accounts portray him as a family man, married with a young son.
The shooting occurred just hours after the death of Russell M. Nelson, the 101-year-old president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the longest-serving leader in the church’s history.
Investigation underway
Authorities are investigating whether the mass shooting and fire at the Grand Blanc Township church are in any way connected to Nelson’s passing.
{{/usCountry}}Authorities are investigating whether the mass shooting and fire at the Grand Blanc Township church are in any way connected to Nelson’s passing.
{{/usCountry}}One of the eight injured victims is in critical condition while the seven others are in stable condition, officials said at a Sept. 28 evening news conference.
The suspect then exited the vehicle and fired “several rounds” at people inside the church with an assault rifle, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said.
Sanford used gasoline as an accelerant to light the church on fire, officials said. Sanford died after exchanging gunfire with responding officers in the church's parking lot.
Also Read: Thomas Sanford family: Details on Grand Blanc church suspect's mother, wife and son emerge
Texas governor responds to shooting
In response to the shooting, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement calling for stronger protections for places of worship:
"The escalation of violent attacks against people and places of faith is heinous and must end."
He added,"I have directed the Texas Dept. of Public Safety to form task forces with federal and local law enforcement to better safeguard our places of worship. The fundamental principle that thou shall not kill must be strongly reaffirmed as a core tenet of our society and must be aggressively enforced by law enforcement."