Terrorist opens fire and sets blaze in U.S. Mormon church

Aftermath of the attack on a Mormon church in Michigan. Photo: BBC

On September 28, 2025, in the city of Grand Blanc (Michigan, USA), an armed man drove his vehicle into the building of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opened fire on the faithful, and started a fire. At least four people were killed, and several more injured as a result of the assault.

According to police, the attacker – 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, a former Marine who had participated in military operations in Iraq – rammed his pickup truck into the church and then began firing with a semi-automatic weapon. In addition, the assailant poured flammable liquid inside the building and set it alight.

Eyewitnesses reported that panic broke out among the congregation. Several people managed to escape before the church caught fire. Police and firefighters arrived at the scene. The terrorist was eventually killed during the exchange of gunfire.

According to the latest reports, among the dead are the shooter himself and three parishioners. About eight people remain hospitalized with various injuries.Several hours after the shooting, police reported finding at least two more bodies.

Investigators believe the shooter used an accelerant - probably gasoline - to fuel the fire, and that some explosives were recovered. The FBI said it was leading the investigation of what it considered "an act of targeted violence."

The assault has caused a wide public outcry in the United States. Politicians and religious leaders expressed condolences to the families of the dead and wounded. Donald Trump, writing on Truth Social, condemned the shooting in the Mormon church in Michigan, calling it a targeted attack on Christians, adding: "THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!"

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a denomination with millions of followers, founded in New York in the 19th century by Joseph Smith. Members of the church venerate Smith as a prophet. The church teaches that he received “an ancient record from an angel known as Moroni,” which he transcribed into what became The Book of Mormon – the central sacred text of the denomination. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is widely known as the “Mormon Church,” and its faith often referred to as “Mormonism.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported on a terrorist shooting in an American church.

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