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On Sunday, September 28, 2025, a cowardly attack tore through a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, leaving at least four people dead and eight wounded as worshippers gathered for service. The scene was horrific: a vehicle rammed through the building, gunfire erupted, and flames consumed part of the sanctuary, turning a place of prayer into a nightmare for hardworking Americans and faithful churchgoers.
Authorities have identified the assailant as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, a former U.S. Marine and Iraq War veteran, who witnesses say drove a pickup into the church and opened fire with what was described as an assault rifle before setting the building ablaze. The wrenching fact that an Iraq veteran could be the suspect forces difficult questions about how our country is caring for its veterans and how someone with such lethal intent was able to carry out this atrocity on worshippers.
Local officers and federal agents converged on the scene within minutes, and the suspect was shot and killed by responding police, who likely prevented further slaughter; their rapid action deserves the respect and support of every American. Video and eyewitness accounts showed firefighters and officers risking their lives to pull survivors from the smoking wreckage, a stark reminder that law and order still matters when every second counts.
Federal investigators, including the FBI and ATF, are treating the incident as targeted violence and say they found evidence suggesting the attacker used an accelerant and left what may be explosive devices, deepening the horror and the complexity of the crime scene. While we wait for a full motive to be revealed, it is unacceptable that any American can turn a house of worship into a war zone; this is not just a law enforcement failure but a cultural one that demands serious answers.
Patriots should be blunt: this is not the moment for predictable partisan handwringing or rushed demands to disarm law-abiding citizens. Instead of reflexively blaming guns, we should focus on securing our communities, supporting police, hardening soft targets, and restoring the moral and civic fabric that once discouraged the kind of nihilism that leads to attacks on churches. No piece of legislation will bring back the dead, but sensible security and a culture that values life and faith will save lives going forward.
We also owe real help to veterans who struggle when they return to civilian life; their service must be honored with access to robust mental health care and community support so that tragedy and desperation do not metastasize into violence. Our prayerful solidarity with the victims must be matched by concrete steps: fund first responders, equip houses of worship with effective security, and stop celebrating anything that erodes respect for human life and religious liberty.
President Trump and state leaders condemned the attack, calling for justice and for protection of places of worship as investigators continue to comb the ruined church and the suspect’s devices for answers. In this dark hour, Americans who believe in faith, family, and freedom must stand together, demand accountability, and ensure that those who attack our people and our institutions face the full force of the law.
