What we know
- At least four people were killed and eight were injured yesterday when a man drove a vehicle through the front doors of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and opened fire in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.
- Officials have named the suspect as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40. He exited the vehicle and began firing an assault rifle at parishioners, police said. He was killed at the scene.
- Authorities said the gunman also set a fire at the church. As many as three improvised devices were found at the scene, according to two senior U.S. law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation.
- Authorities praised the bravery of churchgoers who shielded children from gunfire in the crowded Sunday service.
Former colleagues 'flabbergasted' co-worker is accused in attack
Garry Reynolds Jr. said he worked with Thomas Sanford at the Coca-Cola distribution center in Flint about 10 years ago and had known him both when he was single and then when he got married and became a father.
Friends at work supported Sanford as his son, Brantlee, was going through operations for his medical condition, Reynolds said.
“He loved his son,” Reynolds said. “He loved that boy.”
Reynolds couldn’t recall any red flags at work involving Sanford or complaints about his behavior.
“He was hilarious,” Reynolds said. “That’s why we’re all so stunned, because he was this really good guy. This was a guy that planted sunflowers. He had a large field of sunflowers. They’d all come up at once, and he would let people come and take pictures in his field, just because it made people happy. It wasn’t for a cash crop.”
Reynolds said he wasn’t sure what Sanford was doing for work in more recent years, and he mostly stayed in touch through his wife on social media.
Former colleagues, he said, were “flabbergasted” to learn Sanford was named as the suspect.
“Everyone’s just going, ‘What happened?’” Reynolds said. “Where in his life did it crack?”
EXCLUSIVE: Shooter's family has 'no answer' for church attack
Thomas Sanford, the shooter's father, said today that his family is "devastated" and doesn't know what to think about their son's actions.
In an exclusive statement to NBC News, Thomas Sanford described his son as a loving father and husband. The family also extended their prayers to the Grand Blanc community and everyone affected by the church attack.
"We are completely in shock over this; we have no answers," the statement said. "We are asking for privacy as we grieve our loss and those of the others."
Officials looking into IEDs left behind in suspect's car
Officials continue to investigate a number of improvised explosive devices found in the suspect's car.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives special agent James Dier told NBC News the IEDs were "pretty basic in nature" and described them as "consumer fireworks taped together." He said that other consumer-grade smoke machines were found but that they would only create smoke.
None of the IEDs were set off, Dier said.
Dier maintained that he did not know why the IEDs were taken to the scene and said officials are still trying to determine the motive for the attack.
"We're going to look under every stone. Look, turn every piece of paper over and look and try to get to the very heart of the matter," he said.
Dier said he doesn't believe the attack was very planned out considering what officials have learned so far, but he said it must have been planned at least to some extent in the suspect's mind.
"There's no real science to this. It's just, some people hit a breaking point, and whatever that breaking point was for him, he decided to act," Dier said.
All of the deceased victims died from gunshot wounds, Dier said, clarifying that no one died in the fire.
2 patients remain in critical condition, doctor says
At least eight patients were taken to Henry Ford Genesys yesterday and two of them are still in critical condition, said Dr. Michael Danic, the hospital's chief of staff.
The victims are ages 6 to 78, Danic said. Five were treated for gunshot wounds, and three others were treated for smoke inhalation. The child was stabilized and released, Danic said.
Danic said a number of the hospital's resident physicians were at the church at the time of the incident, describing them as "heroes."
"Not only were they victims, they are also first responders," Danic said. "And having your friends and family come in injured and take care of them is a really incredible experience."
Everyone is accounted for from shooting, police chief says
The investigation continues, but officials are no longer searching for people in the remains of the church, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief Bill Renye said.
"We still are in the process of clearing out that church, but at this time, everyone is accounted for," Renye told reporters.
Officials said that it would be the last news conference about the shooting and that any new information would be released on social media.
FBI has interviewed more than 100 people, official says
Just 24 hours after the shooting yesterday, the FBI has interviewed over 100 victims and witnesses, and it continues to work through more interviews today, said Reuben Coleman, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit field office.
Coleman reiterated that the FBI is investigating the attack as an act of targeted violence and that officials are still working to determine a motive.
Investigative squads and specialty teams were "out all night," he said, "exhausting leads" that have been coming in from the public.
'We cannot keep living our lives like this,' Gov. Whitmer says of gun violence
Whitmer urged the state to come together after the shooting, noting that she spoke to President Donald trump, who offered his condolences.
She sad residents of Michigan have experienced shootings at schools, stores, parades, festivals and houses of worship in recent years. They are places to come together and feel connected, Whitmer said.
"But today, this place has been shattered by bullets and broken glass," she said. "And this might be a familiar pain, but it hurts all the same, every time. We cannot keep living our lives like this."
Members of the Grand Blanc Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "worship together, they sing together, and they serve together," she added.
"We will see this congregation unite and rally together like never before and continue worshipping together, singing together and serving together, because that's who Michiganders are," Whitmer said.
Gov. Whitmer calls on people to 'lower the temperature'
As Whitmer questioned the gunman's motive, she stressed that "speculation is unhelpful, and it can be downright dangerous."
Officials are working to understand the motive so they can prevent such attacks in the future, she said, calling on people to "lower the temperature of that rhetoric" and not try to point fingers before it is known what caused the shooting.
"Let's keep doing work together. ... Be kind, and let's love our neighbors," Whitmer said.
Gov. Whitmer at news conference
An official update on yesterday's shooting is underway.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer thanked the community, first responders and other local officers for their quick response yesterday.
"We've seen gun violence in our schools, stores, parades, festivals and our houses of worship," she said. "These are places that we go to feel connected, to feel safe, to be together. But today, this place has been shattered by bullets and broken glass."
Victim recounts church shooting, calls for the country to 'come together'
Paul Kirby, 38, was at church yesterday with his wife and two sons when he saw a chapel wall buckle and heard a loud boom.
The church fell silent as Kirby and some others went outside to see what had happened, he said. They thought a driver had run off the road and hit the building, most likely needing help.
Instead, Kirby said, he saw a gunman get out of the car that slammed into the church and begin to open fire about 20 yards from where he stood. Kirby told NBC News that he ran toward the church doors, but not before shrapnel struck his left leg and right foot.
Kirby said it still hasn’t hit him that he was wounded in a mass shooting.
"I am extremely lucky to be alive because of how close he got to me, and the two people who went out in front of me were shot," he said.
Kirby said he found his family inside and piled nine people into their car to drive to safety. He said he saw people stay back to help those who had been shot and kids to get out of the building.
"Once we got out, I gave my boys a hug," Kirby said.
Kirby said he did not see the shooter pouring gasoline on the church or setting it on fire. He also said that he didn't recognize the man and that he had never seen him at church before.
The entire event was a blur, Kirby said, but he said he didn't hear the gunman say anything before he began shooting.
Asked what he thought the motive was, Kirby instead said, "Let's not make this political."
"Let’s not make this about anything. It’s something that just happened," he continued. "Let’s mourn and move on. Let’s not divide the country about it; we need to come together."
Sen. Slotkin: 'We have a crisis going on'
After a meeting with local, state and federal officials this morning, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., told reporters that the "profound tragedy" yesterday was an the act “abhorrent to any good human being.”
"It was important to come together both in the meeting, but here now standing together, Democrat, Republican, independent, to condemn this kind of gruesome violence on people who were just experiencing faith and expressing their freedom of religion," she said.
"It doesn't matter what party you're from. This kind of thing just chills you to the bone. We have a crisis going on," she said, noting that there have been five mass shootings in the area in four years.
The meeting included Grand Blanc Township leaders, including the town supervisor, the chief of police and the fire chief, as well as other local leaders and state and federal leaders, Slotkin said.
Slotkin, who said she lives right down the street from where the attack played out yesterday, called on the community to let law enforcement "do what they need to do" and "not let conspiracies and social media take over."
Next update from officials at 12:30 p.m. local time
Local and federal officials will provide an update on the Sunday church shooting in Michigan at 12:30 p.m. local time, the Grand Blanc Township police department said in an update.
Officials expect more information on shooting later this morning
More information on yesterday's shooting should come later this morning following a multiagency command meeting, the Grand Blank Township Police Department said in a social media update.
It was not immediately clear what time the meeting would be held, when the updates would be provided or who would be attending.
A portion of McCandlish Road remains closed, the police department said. Those who need to get their cars from the church parking lot should be able to do so this afternoon.
Sheriff reminds community it will 'overcome' day after church shooting
In an update Monday morning from the scene, Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson said there is still "a lot of grief" and "some uncertainty" stemming from yesterday's church shooting.
Swanson said there will be an increased sheriff's office presence near schools that are in session and other community buildings, and that grief counseling will be available.
"I want you to know that you're protected," Swanson said in the selfie video posted on Facebook. "While we continue to work through all the different agencies and put the scene back together."
He called on community members to think of the victims from yesterday's incident and their families and to be kind to one another in the aftermath.
"We will get through this," Swanson said. "We will overcome."
'We've never seen anything like this': Shocked community leaders respond to church shooting
Law enforcement officials and elected leaders in Grand Blanc Township were quick to express their disbelief and shock at yesterday's events, underlining how unexpected and rare it was.
Grand Blanc Township trustee Joel Feick told NBC affiliate WDIV of Detroit that the attack took place "right next to my condo," although he wasn't home at the time.
"I know that you can see the smoke from I-75 a couple of miles away from this church, just burning. So clearly, somebody set this church on fire, and this was a quiet neighborhood. You know, we've never seen anything like this," he said.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said, "This is a heartbreaking and tragic day for our community. We are working closely with Grand Blanc Township Police and other local, state, and federal partners to bring answers and provide support for the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this senseless act of violence."
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said, “My heart is breaking for the Grand Blanc community. Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable.”
Aerial photos reveal extent of church damage
Emergency crews respond to a shooting and fire at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, yesterday.
FBI investigating church shooting as an 'act of targeted violence'
Federal investigators are treating yesterday's church shooting in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, in which at least four people were killed, as an "act of targeted violence," Acting Special Agent Reuben Coleman said at a news conference last night.
Agents are gathering intelligence and conducting interviews in the area and appealing to the public for any information that may be of use.
Coleman also confirmed that the FBI had searched other churches and other locations in the area after receiving 911 calls about threats or indications of a bomb threat.
"The community should remain vigilant. And anytime they see something suspicious, they should report it immediately," he said.
Social media image shows suspect wearing a 'trump 2020' shirt
An image uploaded to Facebook in 2019 shows Thomas Jacob Sanford wearing a "trump 2020" shirt.
The image was uploaded to "Brantlee's Journey," a page that provides updates on Sanford's son Brantlee and his battle with congenital hyperinsulinism, a rare condition in which the insulin cells of the pancreas create too much insulin.
As of last night, there had been no motive established in the investigation, nor had there been any suggestion from authorities that Sanford's political views or his son's condition played a role in his thinking.
Police hail bravery of worshippers who shielded children from gunfire
Grand Blanc Township Police Chief Bill Renye hailed the bravery and heroism of the churchgoers that shielded children from gunfire during the attack.
"I’d also like to acknowledge the heroism of not only the first responders, but the people who were inside that church at a time they were shielding the children who were also present within the church, moving on to safety, just hundreds of people just practicing their faith, just extreme courage, brave, and that’s the type of community that we are," he said in a news conference last evening.
Renye said police officers were on the scene within 30 seconds of the first call and that the shooter was "neutralized" eight minutes later.
What we know about the Michigan church shooting and fire that killed 4 people
Four people were killed and several others wounded yesterday when authorities say a man opened fire at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, and set it ablaze in what a federal official called “an act of targeted violence.”
At least two of the four victims were fatally shot, police said. Eight people were wounded, with one in critical condition and seven who were stabilized, township Police Chief Bill Renye said.
Authorities were searching through the debris of the church for anyone who might be unaccounted for.
The suspect, Thomas Jacob Sanford, a 40-year-old former Marine, was killed by law enforcement.
