ATF recovers four IEDs from pickup truck of Michigan church shooter Thomas Jacob Sanford
GRAND BLANC, MICHIGAN: Officials have confirmed that the suspected gunman who rammed his pickup into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township before opening fire had stuffed his vehicle with homemade explosives.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) told FOX 2 on Monday, September 29, that investigators discovered four IEDs in the suspect’s truck after the crash. The makeshift bombs were cobbled together from “consumer-grade fireworks and smoke canisters stuck together,” though it’s still not clear what exactly he intended to do with them.
Authorities say the suspect used gasoline to ignite the flames that ripped through the church. He also appears to have used an accelerant to start a fire, per James Deir, special agent in charge of the ATF’s Detroit Field Division.
What do we know about suspected gunman Thomas Jacob Sanford
Police identified the suspected gunman as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of Burton, a Flint suburb just six miles from Grand Blanc Township. A Marine Corps veteran with a military background, Sanford served from 2004 to 2008 and reached the rank of sergeant.
Marine records show he deployed for nearly seven months under Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 before leaving the service the following year. His final duty station was Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Sanford racked up several awards during his time in uniform, including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
On Sunday, Sanford allegedly plowed into the church, hopped out with an assault rifle, and unleashed a barrage of gunfire. At least four people were killed, two by gunfire, and eight others were injured. Responding officers eventually shot Sanford dead in the church parking lot.
FBI investigating Michigan church shooting as an act of targeted violence
Now, federal authorities are scrambling to piece together what drove Thomas Jacob Sanford to carry out the attack. FBI Detroit’s special agent in charge, Reuben Coleman, said Sunday night, “The FBI is now leading the investigation and is investigating this as an act of targeted violence.”
The bureau has thrown more than 100 agents into the case, combing through Sanford’s property, phone records, and family connections to determine whether the rampage was premeditated.
A White House official revealed that the FBI believes Sanford “hated people of the Mormon faith” and claimed church members thought “they were above Jesus.” That account lines up with testimony from a local city council candidate who said Sanford voiced anti-Mormon views when they met just a week before the attack.
Thomas Jacob Sanford's family 'devastated' by attack
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer urged caution at a Monday press conference, warning against rushing to conclusions while investigators are still gathering facts.
“At this juncture, speculation is unhelpful and it can be downright dangerous,” Whitmer said. “So just ask that people lower the temperature of rhetoric.”
Sanford’s own family is shattered. His father told NBC News they were blindsided by the massacre. “We are devastated; we don’t know what to think. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Grand Blanc community and all those affected by this tragedy,” a statement read.
