Fact Check: Was a 'Stop Trump' sign spotted outside Michigan Mormon church shooter's house?

BURTON, MICHIGAN: The Michigan church massacre suspect identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford from Burton, has become the center of an online debate over whether he displayed a “Stop Trump” sign outside his house.

Sanford lived in a brick home on the 4100 block of East Atherton Road in Burton, just 15 minutes from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township.

Authorities said Sanford didn’t just enter the church. He rammed his pickup truck into the front doors, opened fire on congregants—killing at least four and wounding eight—before setting the building on fire. Sanford was killed in a police shootout within 10 minutes.

Claim: Thomas Jacob Sanford displayed a 'Stop Trump' sign

After the attack, Michigan State Police blocked off Sanford’s street. Online sleuths examined Google Maps images from June 2025, which showed a blue Trump poster on his fence directly above a red “stop” sign. Social media users claimed Sanford’s yard displayed a “Stop Trump” sign.

“Grand Blanc, Michigan Mormon church shooter and arsonist is Iraq war vet Thomas Jacob (Jake) Sanford, who killed 2 and has a 'Stop Trump' sign at his house at 4156 E Atherton Rd," one person wrote on X.

Another insisted, “Thomas Sanford is an iraq war vet with a stop trump sign in his yard.”

Yet another said, "Within five minutes, I've learned everything I need to know about Thomas Sanford, the guy who killed those people in Grand Blanc, Michigan this morning. He's a veteran who recently had a fight with the mother of his child. He has 'Stop Trump Vance' signage on his property."

But the story changes if one zooms in on the Google Maps street view. It reportedly shows two separate signs, a Trump/Vance sign and a plain old Stop sign on a fence.

Fact Check: Thomas Jacob Sanford sign claim unclear

MEAWW couldn’t independently verify if 4156 E Atherton Rd was Sanford’s actual address, but the images clearly show two different signs.

Even AI fact-checker Grok jumped in. "No, the claim in that post isn't accurate. The sign shown is a 'Trump' sign placed above a 'Stop' sign, not a 'Stop Trump' sign," it responded to a query.

Still, the purported Trump/Vance banner had some calling Sanford a diehard MAGA man. One post claimed, “Thomas 'Jake' Sanford is a Trump supporter as shown in the imagine from his house located at 4156 E Atherton Rd, was armed with an AR-15, and had two American Flags in the bed of his truck..”

Another piled on, “People are saying the Michigan church shooter, Thomas Jacob Sanford, had a Trump sign on his property.”

That said, no official information on Sanford’s politics has been released at the time of publication.

Speculation and Trump’s response

Speaking to Bridge Michigan, Democratic consultant Mark Grebner pointed to Sanford’s petition history. He reportedly signed onto two conservative pushes, one in 2021’s “Unlock Michigan” bid to repeal Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s pandemic powers and another in 2020 with Right to Life Michigan to ban an abortion procedure.

Even so, police warned against rushing to conclusions. Kim Vetter with the Michigan State Police said all this chatter is “exactly what it is — a speculation.” She added, “We won’t come to those types of conclusions for some time.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump weighed in on his Truth Social account.

“The suspect is dead, but there is still a lot to learn. This appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America. The Trump Administration will keep the Public posted, as we always do. In the meantime, PRAY for the victims, and their families," he wrote. "THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.