A chilling motive has surfaced in the aftermath of the Michigan church shooting, revealing a deliberate act fueled by deep-seated animosity. The FBI has now confirmed that the attacker harbored “anti-religious beliefs” specifically targeting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
For days following the devastating attack, authorities described the shooting as “targeted” but remained tight-lipped about the underlying cause. Friends of the gunman, Thomas Jacob Sanford, had previously confided in investigators about his long-held hatred for the church, a detail now officially corroborated by the FBI’s investigation.
The violence unfolded with terrifying speed, leaving four people dead and the church building consumed by flames. Sanford was ultimately killed by law enforcement responding to the scene, bringing a brutal end to the assault but leaving a community shattered.
Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit field office, delivered the confirmation in a prepared statement. She explicitly stated the attack was a targeted act of violence stemming from the assailant’s hostility towards the Mormon religious community.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often referred to as the Mormon church, now mourns alongside the wider community, grappling with the senseless loss and the disturbing revelation of the hatred that drove this horrific act.
