Former US Marine Thomas Sanford Identified as Michigan Mormon Church Shooter: Military Background and Tragic Attack Details

Sep 29, 2025 10:36 am CST

Thomas Jacob Sanford, a 40-year-old decorated US Marine veteran who served in Iraq, has been identified as the perpetrator of a mass shooting at a Mormon church in Michigan that left four dead and eight injured. The suspect crashed his vehicle through the church entrance, opened fire on the congregation, and attempted to set the building ablaze before being fatally shot by responding officers. This tragic incident marks the second mass shooting in the United States in less than 24 hours, highlighting the ongoing issue of gun violence in the country.