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Thomas Sanford military career: Michigan church shooter received ‘good conduct’ medal; Iraq details out
Thomas Jacob Sanford has been identified as the suspect in the Michigan church shooting on Sunday that claimed the lives of at least two people.
The Michigan church shooting suspect, Thomas Jacob Sanford, reportedly had a decorated career as a US Marine. Sanford, 40, crashed his car into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Grand Blanc, on Sunday, and opened fire on the parishioners, killing two and wounding many.
He was killed in the ensuing firefight with responding officers, and now a US Marines spokesperson has shared details of his time serving in the military.
Thomas Jacob Sanford military history
As per the US Marine Corps, Sanford served in the military from June 2004 to 2008, NBC News reported. A spokesman told the publication that he was an 'organizational automative mechanic' as well as a vehicle recovery operator. Sanford got the rank of sergeant while with the Marines. From August 2007 to March 2008, he was deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the publication further reported.
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Further, the spokesperson told the publication that Sanford earned many medals during his time. He has been given the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
Sanford's last assignment was reportedly in the 2nd Maintenance Battalion of Combat Logistics Regiment 25 at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, the spokesperson also shared.
Reactions to Michigan church shooting
Several reactions came in after the shooting. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on social media “My heart is breaking for the Grand Blanc community. Violence anywhere especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable.”
President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the shooting ‘appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America.’ He added, “THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!”
The Michigan incident marked the 324th mass shooting in the US in 2025, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which tracks such incidents and describes a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter.
It was also the third US mass shooting in less than 24 hours, including the North Carolina incident and a shooting a few hours later at a casino in Eagle Pass, Texas, that killed at least two people and injured several others.
(With Reuters inputs)
