Father of Michigan church shooter apologizes to victims’ families as motive remains unclear

GRAND BLANC, MICHIGAN: The father of Thomas Jacob Sanford, the man accused of killing four people and injuring eight at a Michigan church on Sunday, expressed deep sorrow for the victims and their families. 

“I feel terrible about all the families that have been hurt and they’re under the same crap that I’m going under, that my wife and I are going under,” Thomas Sanford told the Detroit Free Press. “I apologize for that,” he added.

Police probing motive behind Michigan Church attack 

Kris Johns, a city council candidate in nearby Burton, Michigan, said that the accused had recently described members of the church as “the antichrist” in conversation. Police have not yet confirmed a motive, and the investigation into the attack is ongoing.

The incident has left the Grand Blanc community in shock. Local leaders have called for unity and healing in the aftermath of the violence, and residents have expressed condolences to the victims’ families.

Officials are continuing to review Sanford’s background, including his military service, to understand what may have driven the attack

Police have said that Sanford rammed his truck into the church intentionally before firing on attendees and setting the building on fire. Officers confronted him in a parking lot behind the church, where he was killed in the ensuing shootout.

Investigators are piecing together details from witnesses and reviewing Sanford’s past interactions to determine whether the attack was premeditated.

Tragedy at Grand Blanc Township church

Sanford was shot and killed by police after ramming his truck into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, before opening fire on worshippers and setting the building ablaze.

The attack occurred Sunday morning as hundreds gathered inside the church for worship. Authorities said Sanford, a former Marine who served in Iraq in 2007, targeted the building deliberately, killing four people and injuring eight others, ranging in age from six to 78. 

Five victims were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, while three were treated for smoke inhalation. Two of those treated for smoke inhalation have been discharged.

Police in Michigan are also investigating whether Sunday’s deadly shooting is linked to the death of the church’s global leader, Russell M Nelson, who died the day before.

Authorities said that the investigation is in its early stages, focusing on the gunman’s possible motives, any threats to the congregation, and whether the timing of the attack, less than 24 hours after Nelson’s death, may be significant.

Thomas Jacob Sanford suffered from PTSD, claims family friend

A family friend told journalist Ty Steele that Sanford had been battling demons long before Sunday’s horror show. "It's hard to feel sad for someone who did something so terrible, and I still feel sad," she admitted.

"I had heard through family events that he had had PTSD. He would make comments occasionally and it was something that was kind of talked about. It wasn't talked about in depth... so I don't know the depth of his issues."

Sanford’s past paints a picture of a devoted Marine and family man before he went on a downward spiral. According to the Marine Corps, he served from June 2004 to June 2008 as an automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator. From August 2007 to March 2008, he was deployed to Iraq under Operation Iraqi Freedom.